OREGON STANDOFF FBI AGENT TRIAL:  FBI AGENTS SPIN TALES SURROUNDING LAVOY FINICUM'S DEATH

"'Does it appear agent Astarita is holding his rifle?' federal prosecutor Gary Sussman asked.

'Yes sir',  B.M. replied.

'Is it aimed at Finicum's truck?'  Sussman asked.

'It looks like it's oriented towards the vehicle, sir,' B.M. said."

Maxine Bernstein "OregonLive" story 7/27/2018

The FBI HRT (Hostage Rescue Team) direct supervisor for accused agent W. Joseph Astarita only known by his initials "BM" testified Friday along with another agent John Neidert, who was part of Astarita's team.

Neidert remembers being ordered on January 26, 2016 to jump out of the way at the roadblock as LaVoy Finicum's truck approached.   There was fear of Finicum's truck driving into the roadblock-FBI agents there but Finicum went into the snow to get around the roadblock as it was his stated intention when stopped minutes before to continue into Grant County to a town hall meeting where Sheriff Glenn Palmer was waiting.

Neidert went right onto the same side of the road and into the snow (West) as Finicum's truck even though the order radioed to him and the other agents was to "bail out" to the left (East) from the highway.

Afterwards Neidert says Astarita was making comments to another agent that "he had saved me" and had "pulled me out of the snowbank".  Neidert said Astarita hadn't pulled him out of the snow under prosecution questioning, but figured his comments were in jest.

Agent "BM" testified he did not hear Astarita firing the two shots he's accused of lying about shooting in the direction of LaVoy Finicum's truck as it went into snow next to the roadblock, stopping and exiting the truck.

'BM TESTIFIED FOUR TIMES HE DID NOT HEAR ANY SHOTS FROM ASTARITA, BUT DID TESTIFY TO HEARING OTHER SHOTS FIRED AT THE SCENE.

"BM" admitted under prosecution questioning that based on the FBI drone video it appeared that Astarita's rifle was "oriented towards" Finicum's truck.

There was detailed questioning about the aftermath of the shooting with "BM" at one point responding to questioning as to whether he fired the two disputed shots from lead defense attorney Rob Cary with his response being "possible".  When a prosecutor asked if he fired the shots,  "BM's" response was "highly unlikely".

Also reported to be testifying Friday were the shooters-killers of LaVoy Finicum, "Officer 1" and "Officer 2" of the Oregon State Police.

"As I'm sitting there listening to these men describe my husband or the people that were involved as 'militia', armed terrorists basically, they didn't use the word terrorists, however they continued to say they were 'armed and dangerous'...the threat assessment that was given to the Oregon officials was tampered with and it was manipulated and was falsified..."

LaVoy Finicum's widow Jeanette Finicum reacts to what she is witnessing at the trial in a video posted 7/27/2018 on Facebook

The other FBI agents in Astarita's team are only known by initials in this trial and counsel for the FBI asked the judge, US District Judge Robert E. Jones, to ban any artists sketch of them.   He initially refused but later agreed to the FBI demand to ban sketches of the agents.

The trial continues in the week ahead and expected to last four weeks total.


Link below.....

LaVoy Finicum's widow Jeanette Finicum video 7/27/2018 on You Tube

(EDITED AND EXPANDED SATURDAY JULY 28th)