A federal jury in Oregon on Friday acquitted an FBI agent accused of lying to authorities about whether he opened fire during the fatal shooting of LaVoy Finicum, one of the leaders of the occupation of federal property in 2016.Agent W. Joseph Astarita was acquitted of making false statements and obstruction of justice, according to a statement from the US Attorney's Office in Portland.An attorney for Astarita, David Angeli, told CNN on Friday night that the defense emphasized during the trial there were no eyewitnesses who saw Astarita fire his weapon, and there was no ballistic evidence linking shots to his weapon."We are grateful to the men and women of the jury who saw through a case that never should have been brought," a statement from Angeli and fellow defense attorney Rob Cary said.The US Attorney's Office thanked the jury for its service. "Our system of justice relies on the absolute integrity of law enforcement officials at all levels of government," US Attorney Billy J. … [Read more...] about FBI agent acquitted in Oregon standoff case
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FBI agent acquitted of lying about shooting of militia member after Malheur standoff
Leah Sottile, The Washington Post Published 5:15 pm PDT, Friday, August 10, 2018 PORTLAND, Ore. - A FBI agent was acquitted on Friday of lying about firing at a militia leader killed in 2016 during a high-profile standoff with law enforcement at a federal wildlife refuge. W. Joseph Astarita, a member of the FBI's elite Hostage Rescue Team, was the only federal or state officer charged in connection with the 41-day takeover at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in southeastern Oregon. It was a case of two fired shots, one bullet hole and a crime scene free of shell casings, according to prosecutors, who alleged that Astarita lied about his actions during the confrontation that left Robert Lavoy Finicum dead in the snow. Astarita, 41, who took the stand earlier this week, denied firing his weapon at all during the incident - or recalling much of anything about where he'd been positioned at the scene. "We strongly believe this case needed to be brought before the court … [Read more...] about FBI agent acquitted of lying about shooting of militia member after Malheur standoff
FBI agent found not guilty of lying about Oregon standoff shooting
Arizona rancher and anti-government protestor LaVoy Finicum, center left, speaks during a news conference by the entrance to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters, which the group is occupying, near Burns, Ore. on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @csstevensphotoIn this Jan. 5, 2016 file photo, Robert "LaVoy" Finicum, center, a rancher from Arizona, talks to reporters at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns, Ore. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File) PORTLAND, Ore. — An FBI agent has been found not guilty of lying about firing shots at a militia leader who participated in the armed takeover of an Oregon wildlife refuge. A jury on Friday returned the verdict on W. Joseph Astarita. Astarita was charged with making false statements and obstruction of justice after telling investigators he did not fire two shots that missed Robert “LaVoy” Finicum, a key figure in the group that seized the eastern Oregon refuge in 2016 while … [Read more...] about FBI agent found not guilty of lying about Oregon standoff shooting
FBI agent found not guilty of lying about gunshots
PORTLAND, Ore. — An FBI agent has been found not guilty of lying about firing shots at a militia leader who participated in the armed takeover of an Oregon wildlife refuge. A jury on Friday returned the verdict on W. Joseph Astarita. Astarita was charged with making false statements and obstruction of justice after telling investigators he did not fire two shots that missed Robert "LaVoy" Finicum, a key figure in the group that seized the eastern Oregon refuge in 2016 while protesting the imprisonment of two ranchers. Oregon State Police fatally shot Finicum seconds later. Astarita denied firing the shots. Federal prosecutors had argued that Astarita was a rookie on the elite Hostage Rescue Team who panicked as Finicum came close to running over his teammate at a police roadblock. … [Read more...] about FBI agent found not guilty of lying about gunshots
FBI investigating threat against Penn State football game at Beaver Stadium
The FBI and Penn State Police are investigating a social media threat targeting a home football game at Beaver Stadium during the upcoming college football season. In a tweet Wednesday, an account that has since been deleted threatening to commit a mass shooting at the stadium. In a follow-up tweet, Penn State Police said they are working with the FBI to determine the credibility of the threat. "The safety of our students, faculty, staff and visitors is paramount," the university said in a statement. "Penn State takes all threats very seriously and University Police and federal authorities are actively investigating. As always, University Police encourages everyone to always be vigilant."The Nittany Lions kick off the 2018 season at home against Appalachian State University on Sept. 1. … [Read more...] about FBI investigating threat against Penn State football game at Beaver Stadium