Rep. Bob Thorpe is calling on Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich and Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt to file Federal Civil Rights complaints and to investigate the shooting of unarmed Arizona rancher LaVoy Finicum. Finicum was shot 3 times in the back by Oregon law enforcement on his way to a meeting with the Harney County Sheriff and members of the Occupy Malhuer Refuge effort.
Thorpe, who represents many ranchers in the northern Arizona region, has been in close contact with Finicum’s family who are desperate to learn what really happened when Finicum was shot at an FBI-State of Oregon roadblock.
Thorpe, who is Chairman of the powerful Government and Higher Education committee in the Arizona House of Representatives, has previously called on Oregon’s Governor Kate Brown to investigate the matter after she called it disturbing. She has since refused to act further.
The letter from Thorpe to Brnovich and Laxalt was co-signed by Senator Don Shooter and representatives Brenda Barton, Sonny Borrelli, Regina Cobb, Mark Finchem and Jay Lawrence.
Thorpe’s letter reads:
Dear Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich and Nevada Attorney General Adam Paul Laxalt:
Over the past 7-years, the U.S. Attorney General and the U.S. Justice Department have established a track record of repeatedly filing civil rights complaints, often in support of known criminals, typically against law enforcement officials and state and local governments.
However, in the case of unarmed Arizona rancher Mr. LaVoy Finicum, who was shot 3-times in the back by Oregon law enforcement officials at a traffic stop, and his associates who are currently being held, charged and facing inaccurate and exaggerated charges, the Federal Government has not demonstrated any interest in protecting the guaranteed Constitutional and civil rights of these Arizona and Nevada citizens.
Whether you agree or disagree with their tactics of occupying public land within an Oregon wildlife refuge for 41-days, Finicum and his associates were merely exercising their Constitutionally guaranteed 1st Amendment rights of free speech, to peaceably assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
In order to keep this in context, none of the thousands of individuals involved in the politically motivated 4-month takeover of the Wisconsin State Capitol from February 14 – June 16, 2011, or the encampment and protests by the Occupy Wall Street movement that started on September 17, 2011 and lasted for many, many months, were treated in a similar manner. In both of these cases, that lasted dramatically longer than the Oregon wildlife refuge occupation of public land, considerable property damage occurred, and yet no individuals were shot, jailed or charged in a similar manner to those individuals within Oregon.
Similar to the IRS targeting scandal, it has been suggested that the noticeable difference between the Wisconsin and Occupy Wall Street occupations and the Oregon occupation is that the former was typically comprised of labor union and liberal individuals who are politically aligned with President Obama, and the later was typically comprised of conservative individuals who are not.
According to Thomas Jefferson, our 3rd U.S. President and author of the Declaration of Independence: “When government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny.” Simply by exercising their Constitutionally guaranteed 1st Amendment rights, the late Finicum and his jailed and charged associates continue to face what some are calling government tyranny.
It is the duty of the Attorneys General of the States of Arizona, Nevada and any other states with standing, to file civil rights complaints with the U.S. Justice Department against the Oregon law enforcement officials and prosecutors, and against the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Arizona and Nevada must ensure that their citizens are treated in a fair, transparent and legal manner, and that Oregon law enforcement officials justly face at a minimum manslaughter charges, and that FBI agents justly face at a minimum attempted manslaughter and falsifying evidence charges.
The below signed Arizona officials respectfully request both the Arizona and Nevada Attorneys General to file civil rights complaints against Oregon law enforcement officials, Oregon prosecutors and the Federal Bureau of Investigation on behalf of the Arizona and Nevada citizens, including the family of deceased Finicum and those of his jailed and charged associates.
Respectfully,
Representative Bob Thorpe LD-6
Co-signed by: Senator Don Shooter and Representatives Brenda Barton, Sonny Borrelli, Regina Cobb, Mark Finchem and Jay Lawrence
cc: Arizona Governor Doug Ducey, Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval, Oregon Governor Kate Brown