From: [c d t] at [sw.stratus.com] (C. D. Tavares) Newsgroups: talk.politics.guns,alt.conspiracy,misc.legal Subject: Re: IRS Disarms Religious Group Date: 17 Jun 1994 16:41:48 GMT [c--r--n] at [ux4.cso.uiuc.edu] (Christopher J Burian) writes: > I read a rumor that the FBI had identified her as the spiritual leader of > the household, and that she was to be eliminated if convenient. But I > never saw confirmation of this alleged FBI memo. From news reports of the case: The transcripts also indicate the FBI was concerned Vicki Weaver might kill herself and her children if she was threatened with arrest. The testimony came from Richard Rodgers, the sniper-team commander, and FBI sniper Lon Horiuchi whose bullet struck and killed Mrs. Weaver. Horiuchi testified her death was an accident, that he had been aiming at Harris. In his September testimony, Rodgers explained the eased deadly- force policy, under which Mrs. Weaver could be shot if she offered resistance after being asked to surrender. "A psychologist had provided them with an assessment of Vicki which indicated to them that...she was so determined not to have this family unit broken up that she might even kill the children and commit suicide herself if she anticipated she was going to be arrested," Rodgers said. Authorities at the scene subsequently learned, however, that no arrest warrant was to be issued for Vicki Weaver, he said, which made his descision moot. Rodgers said he also recommended unusally harsh application of deadly force for any armed adults at the cabin because Degan's death indicated they were willing to kill law-enforcement agents. "I proposed that when we deploy our people up there to that location, that any adult that's carrying a weapon to be the subject of deadly force, if one of our people has a shot at them," Rodgers told the Grand Jury. Under normal FBI rules of engagement, Horiuchi said, deadly force can be used only if there is a threat to the life of an agent, hostage, or bystander. A news reporter who interviewed the Weaver family in 1992 testified that he believed Vicki Weaver was really the "strength" of the family. The reporter also stated that Randy Weaver considered surrendering, but his family would not allow it. Michael Weland, then-reporter for the _Bonners Ferry Herald_, interviewed Randy Weaver in May, 1992. Weland, now a reporter for the _Kootenai Valley Times_, said that Randy Weaver believed he and his family were being persecuted for their religious beliefs. Said Weland, "He [Randy Weaver] felt he was being persecuted by a government that he felt was sinful and controlled by Freemasons and Jews." According to Weland, Weaver also revealed that he had considered surrendering to federal agents, but that his family objected. Weland recalled Vicki Weaver saying, "We won't let him go down." After coming away from the cabin, Weland discussed his impressions to an FBI agent developing a psychological profile of the Weaver family. Weland told the agent that he believed Vicki Weaver was the strongest member of the family. Presumably, this means that she held the deciding factor in family decisions, but this was not made explicit in the reports. Vicki Weaver was killed by an FBI sniper the very next day - although the sniper later told a grand jury that he had been aiming at an armed man running into the house and didn't see her standing behind an open door when he fired. Defense attorney Gerry Spence then asked Weland, "Did you anticipate that they [the federal government] would separate them by killing Vicki?" Weland responded that he didn't, but U.S. Attorney Ronald Howen objected immediately and the objection was sustained. U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge ordered the jury to ignore the question and the answer. Spence's obvious implication was that killing Vicki Weaver might have been a government strategy to eliminate the leader of the Weaver family. Weland, a Reserve Officer for the Idaho State Police, also told the Marshal's Service about the Weavers and their beliefs of persecution. When Weland suggested that they try and negotiate with Weaver, Weland recalled being told by one agent, "We'll do this in our own time, in our own place and in our own way. We're the government, and we'll decide." A top official from the U.S. Marshal's Service today revealed that the government had significantly relaxed the rules for lethal force in the aftermath of the gun battle that left agent William Degan and Samuel Weaver dead. Defense attorneys declared the action premature. G. Wayne "Duke" Smith, the Associate Director of Operations [KTVB called this the "Third Highest" position in the Marshal's Service], testified today that, enroute from Virginia to Idaho, they authorized relaxed rules of engagement for Randy Weaver, Vicki Weaver, and Kevin Harris. The rules were as follows: If snipers or other armed law- enforcement officers spotted Randy Weaver, Vicki Weaver, or Kevin Harris armed outside the cabin, they could shoot them on sight. This is a significant reduction from the normal, "imminent danger" standard usually applied, which requires that snipers only shoot when there is an "imminent danger" of death or serious harm. The Weaver children, including a 10-month old infant, were to be engaged only if there was "imminent danger." -- [c d t] at [rocket.sw.stratus.com] --If you believe that I speak for my company, OR [c d t] at [vos.stratus.com] write today for my special Investors' Packet...