1-1.l-L U vial L 1-11 Lr 1 J.-1 -IL Lid-1,71vvytat 0p/14-- By James 13ovaan menstrual cycle of Weaver's teenage shack's door, he was shot from behind by ommended possible criminal prosecution FBI Director Louis Freeh last week an- daughter, and planned an arrest scenario FBI sniper Lon Horiuchi. As he struggled of federal officials and found that the rules nounced that no FBI agents would be fired around it." back to the cabin, his wife, Vicki. stood in of engagement "contravened the Constitu- or severely punished for their role In the On Aug. 21, 1992, six heavily armed, the doorway, holding a I0-month-old baby tion of the United States." Yet Deval botched attack on Idaho white separatist camouflaged U.S. marshals sneaked onto in her arms and calling for her husband to Patrick, assistant attorney general for Randy Weaver and his family in 1992, Mr. Weaver's property. Three agents hurry. The FBI sniper fired again and hit civil rights, rejected the findings last which led to the death of Mr. Weaver's son threw rocks to get the attention of Mr. Vicki Weaver in the temple, killing her in- month and concluded that the federal and wife. The announcement, which drew Weaver's dogs. As Mr. Weaver's 14-year- stantly. (Mr. Horiuchi testified in court agents had not used excessive force. denunciations from both the American old son. Sammy, and Kevin Harris, a 25- that he could hit within a quarter inch of a FBI Director Louis Freeh concluded Civil Liberties Union and the National Ri- year-old family friend living in the cabin, target at a distance of 200 yards.) that there was no evidence to show that fle Association, is the conclusion of a ran to see what the dogs were barking at, Reuters reported on Aug. 25. three days Mr. Horiuchi intended to shoot Mrs. patchwork of deception that has continued U.S. marshals killed one of the dogs. after the shooting: "FBI Agent Gene Weaver. Yet Bo Gritz, the former Vietnam for more than two years. Sammy Weaver fired his gun in the direc- Glenn said that the law enforcement offi- War hero who represented the government Mr. Freeh, in his statement on Friday, tion the shots had come from. Randy cers were proceeding with extreme care, when it finally negotiated Randy Weaver's declared that "the [Randy Weaver case) Weaver came out and hollered for his son mindful that Weaver's wife Vicki and surrender after the death of his wife, de- crisis was one of the most dangerous and to come back to the cabin. Sammy yelled, three remaining children . were also in clared that the government's profile of the potentially violent situations to which FBI Weaver family recommended killing Mr, agents have ever been assigned." But this Weaver's wife: "I believe Vicki was shot is patent nonsense. Given the growing im- Fourteen-year-old Sammy Weaver yelled, "I'm com- purposely by the sniper as a priority tar- portance of this case, a review of the facts get. The profile said, if you get a is in order. ing, Dad," and was running back to the cabin when a fed- chance, take Yield Weaver out." Randy Weaver lived with his wife and eral marshal shot him in the back and killed him. Mr. Freeh justified the FBI shooting of four children in an isolated cabin on the Weavers because sniper Horiuchi "ob- Ruby Ridge in the Idaho mountains, 40 served one of the suspects raise a weapon miles south of the Canadian border. Mr. "I'm coming, Dad," and was running back the cabin. 'We are taking a very cautious in the direction of a helicopter carrying Weaver did not favor violence against to the cabin when a federal marshal shot approach,' he said in a statement to re- other FBI personnel." But other federal any other race, but believed that the him in the back and killed him. porters," An internal FBI report com- officials testified at the trial that no heli- races should live separately. Because of Kevin Harris responded to Sammy's pleted shortly after the confrontation jus- copters were flying in the vicinity of the his extreme beliefs, he was targeted for a shooting by fatally shooting a U.S. mar- tified the killing of Mrs. Weaver by assert- Weavers' cabin at the time of the FBI sting operation. shal. Federal agents falsely testified in ing that she had put herself in harm's way, sniping. court that the U.S. marshal had been killed the New York Times reported in 1993. Slaps on the Wrist Two Shotguns by the first shot of the exchange; evidence Though federal officials now claim that One of the most disturbing aspects of In 1989, an undercover agent of the Bu- later showed that the marshal had fired the killing of Vicki Weaver was an acci- reau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms ap- seven shots before he was shot himself. dent, the Washington Times's Jerry Seper Mr. Freeh's slaps on the wrist last week is proached Mr. Weaver and pressured the After the death of the U.S. marshal, the reported in September 1993: "Court his treatment of Larry Potts, Mr. Freeh's mountain man to sell him sawed-off shot- commander of the FBI's Hostage Rescue records show that while the woman's body pick as acting deputy FBI director. Mr. guns. Mr. Weaver at first refused, but the Team was called In, and ordered federal lay in the cabin for eight days, the FBI Potts was the senior official in charge of agent was persistent and Mr. Weaver agents to shoot any armed adult outside used microphones to taunt the family. the Idaho operation and signed off on the eventually sold him two shotguns— the Weaver cabin, regardless of whether 'Good morning, Mrs. Weaver. We had pan- shoot-without-provocation orders. Despite thereby violating federal firearms law. A that person • was doing anything to cakes for breakfast. What did you have?' the finding by the Justice Department that court official sent Mr. Weaver a notice to threaten or menace federal agents. asked the agents in at least one ex- the orders violated the Constitution, Freeh appear In court on the wrong day; after (Thanks to the surveillance, federal offi- change." recommended that the only penalty Mr. Mr. Weaver did not show up on the correct cials knew that the Weavers always car- Neither Randy Weaver nor Mr. Harris Potts face he a letter of censure—the same date, a Justice Department attorney (who ried guns when outside their cabin.) fired any shots at government agents af- penalty Mr. Freeh received when he lost knew of the error) got a warrant for his ar- With the massive federal firepower sur- ter the siege began. Mr. Weaver surren- an FBI cellular telephone. rest. Federal agents then launched an rounding the cabin—the automatic dered after 11 days. An Idaho jury found The Weaver case is by far the most im- elaborate 18-month surveillance of Mr. weapons, the sniper rifles, the night vision him innocent of almost all charges and portant civil-rights/civil-liberties case the Weaver's cabin and land. scopes—this was practically an order to ruled that Kevin Harris's shooting of the Clinton administration has yet resolved— David Niven, a defense lawyer involved assassinate the alleged wrongdoers. Four U.S. marshal was self-defense. Federal and it resolved it in favor of granting un- in the subsequent court case, noted later: hundred government agents quickly Judge Edward Lodge condemned the FBI limited deadly power to federal agents. If "The U.S. marshals called in military aer- swarmed In the mountains around the and issued a lengthy list detailing the Jus- the new Republican congressional leaders ial reconnaissance and had photos studied cabin. Most important, the federal agents tice Department's and FBI's misconduct, let the Justice Department and the FBI get by the Defense Mapping Agency. They at that time made no effort to contact Mr. fabrication of evidence, and refusals to away with what may have been murder, had psychological profiles performed and Weaver to negotiate his surrender. obey court orders. they will be accomplices to a gross trav- installed 5130,000 worth of solar-powered The next day, Aug. 22, Randy Weaver Justice Department officials launched esty of justice. long-range spy cameras. They intercepted walked to the little shack where his son's their own investigation. A 542-page report Dp..111-.4 •r•r■4nr "v. nwInlir• .