Two bullet casings reportedly disappeared from the stretch of remote highway where police fatally shot an armed Oregon standoff leader in late January, according to The Oregonian and Washington Post.
Citing newly released police reports, The Oregonian reported late Wednesday that an Oregon State police officer told investigators he saw two rifle casings near where federal agents were posted during the confrontation. Police reports show investigators never found those casings, according to the newspaper.
Oregon State Police had announced last week that the deadly shooting of LaVoy Finicum was legally justified. In doing so, they disclosed that FBI agents fired two additional shots that did not hit Finicum but were never reported to investigators, either.
An anonymous law enforcement source who viewed the full surveillance video of the confrontation told the Oregonian that it showed federal agents bend down and appear to pick something up off the ground. Another anonymous law enforcement official confirmed this account to the Post.
The state trooper also told investigators that the casings he saw on the ground were copper-colored; while state police use ammunitions in silver-colored casings, federal agents use copper casings.
FBI agents from the Hostage Rescue Team who were involved in the confrontation deny firing any shots. Those agents are currently under criminal investigation by the inspector general at the Department of Justice.
Going to be hearing about those casings for the rest of my life.
Well, this obviously means Yellowstone National Park must be given to Ammon Bundy.
Sorry but I call bullshit on these anonymous sources.
Jesus H. Christ, did two FBI agents really screw up an otherwise relatively exemplary and restrained law-enforcement operation? I really thought they would be the professionals on the ground.
Seems pretty reasonable that if they violated the ROE, that they would know it and want to hide it if possible. Why the FBI had people there who couldn’t follow orders is another issue, assuming they are under investigation for good reasons.