>> FINICUM, THE ONE MILITIA MEMBER KILLED BY THE POLICE --
THERE IS IMMEDIATELY DISAGREEMENT ABOUT HOW IT
HAPPENED.
WE KNOW THE GENERAL STORY, IT IS THAT A TRAFFIC STOP
WAS PUT ON THE ROAD, TWO CARS FILLED WITH MEMBERS OF THE
MILITIA WERE ON THE ROAD.
ONE OF THEM, INCLUDING AMMON BUNDY AND
SEVERAL OTHERS, STOPPED AT THAT TRAFFIC STOP, THE OTHER
APPARENTLY BEING DRIVEN BY LAVOY FINICUM THOSE AROUND THE FIRST
VEHICLE AND CONTINUES DOWN THE ROAD.
IT ENCOUNTERS ANOTHER
TRAFFIC STOP FURTHER DOWN, HE APPARENTLY GOES OFF THE ROAD,
HITS A SNOW BANK, JUMPS OUT OF THE CAR AS THE WHEELS CONTINUE
TO SPIN, AND THEN SOMETHING HAPPENS THAT RESULTS IN HIS
DEATH.
IF WE COULD JUMP TO GRAPHIC 6, YOU WILL SEE, THIS IS
PUT OUT BY A STATE REP, MICHELE FIORE, WHO SAYS --
>> AND IN THIS WE CHOOSE TO
REPRESENT THAT EARLY ON, PEOPLE
LIKE THIS OR MEMBERS OF THE MILITIA ARE SAYING THAT HE HAD
HIS HANDS UP OR HE WAS ON THE GROUND AND COPS JUST EXECUTED
HIM.
THAT IS NOT AN IMPOSSIBILITY, WE KNOW FROM
COVERING THE NEWS IN AMERICA, THAT SORT OF THING DOES ACTUALLY
HAPPEN.
GENERALLY NOT WITH WHITE MEMBERS OF MILITIAS, BUT IT CAN
HAPPEN.
SO WE ARE NOT SIMPLY GOING TO GUESS WHAT ACTUALLY
HAPPENED.
WHY DON'T WE TURN TO SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE
WITNESSES ON THE SCENE.
IF WE COULD JUMP TO VIDEO 5, I WANT TO
SHOW VICTORIA SHARP, SHE WAS THE 18-YEAR-OLD GIRL IN THE CAR WITH
LAVOY FINICUM, SHE ECHOES SOME OF THE EARLY ACCOUNTS OF
WHAT HAPPENED.
>> HE TRIED TO GET OUT OF THE CAR AND GO TALK TO THEM, AND HE
GETS OUT OF THE CAR AND THE GUY TRIED TO TALK TO THEM, THE
DRIVER WAS LIKE, I'M JUST GOING TO TALK TO THE SHERIFF.
AND HE
IS LIKE, SHOOT ME NOW OR LET US GO.
AND THEY WERE JUST LIKE,
TURN THE CAR OFF AND PUT YOUR HANDS UP.
>>WE ALL GOT DOWN ON THE FLOOR AND HE TOOK OFF, THEN THEY
STARTED FIRING AT US, SHOOTING US A BUNCH OF TIMES, AND THEY
HAD A ROADBLOCK SET UP, SO HE RAN INTO A SNOW BANK.
AND THE
CAR WAS FLIPPED.
THEN WHEN WE CRASHED THEY STOPPED FOR A SECOND,
HE GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND HAD HIS HANDS IN THE AIR, AND HE IS
LIKE, JUST SHOOT ME THEN.
AND THEY DID, THEY SHOT HIM DEAD.
THEY SHOT HIM, LIKE, RIGHT THERE.
HE WAS JUST WALKING WITH HIS
HANDS IN THE AIR, AND I SAW.
I SWEAR TO GOD, HE WAS JUST
WALKING WITH HIS HANDS IN THE AIR AND THEY SHOT HIM DEAD, AND
AFTER HE WAS DOWN ON THE GROUND THEY SHOT HIM THREE MORE TIMES.
THEN THEY BOMBARDED OUR VEHICLE WITH BULLETS.
>> SHE SWEARS TO GOD THAT THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED, THIS
18-YEAR-OLD GIRL WHO DECIDED TO JOIN THE MILITIA AND SING FOR
THEM.
UNFORTUNATELY HER STORY DOESN'T MATCH UP WITH OTHER
MEMBERS OF THE MILITIA WHO WERE ALSO THERE.
LET'S GO TO MARK
MCCONNELL, WHO WILL DESCRIBE THE SAME ACT.
THIS IS VIDEO 4.
>> WE HAD LAVOY, RYAN PAYNE, RYAN bUNDY, AND IN 18-YEAR-OLD
GIRL, I WON'T DISCLOSE HER NAME.
THEY PULLED ME OUT OF THE JEEP
FIRST, ME AND THE DRIVER, BEING AS TALL AS I AM AND SUCH, BEING
ARMED, THEY WERE ROUGHER WITH ME, BUT I WOULD BE TOO.
THEN
THEY PULLED AMMON OUT, THEY PULLED [UNINTELLIGIBLE] OUT,
THEN THEY PROCEEDED WITH VEHICLE TWO.
AT THAT TIME WE SAW
SOMEBODY COME OUT OF VEHICLE TWO, DIDN'T KNOW WHO IT WAS ON
THE PASSENGER SIDE, THEY WENT TO THE GROUND, THEY WERE
HANDCUFFED, THE NEXT THING WE KNOW LAVOY TAKES OFF WITH HIS
PICKUP AND ITS OCCUPANTS.
HRT PURSUES, THEY GOT FURTHER DOWN
THE ROAD AND THERE WAS A ROADBLOCK A MILE DOWN.
ANYTIME
SOMEBODY TAKES OFF WITH A VEHICLE AWAY FROM LAW
ENFORCEMENT AFTER THEY HAVE EXERCISED A STOP,
>>[BUFFERING]
>> IT MAKES SENSE, UNTIL IT STALLS.
AND HE CHARGED AFTER
LAW ENFORCEMENT.
THE STORY CHANGED A FEW TIMES, I DON'T
KNOW.
WHAT I DO KNOW TO BE TRUE IS THAT FROM WHAT PAYNE SAID,
FROM WHAT SHAUNA YOU SAID, AND FROM WHAT I WITNESSED, I DIDN'T
SEE THE SHOOTING, HE WAS NOT ON HIS KNEES, NONE OF THAT.
THAT
WAS A MISCOMMUNICATION ON SOMEBODY ELSE'S PART, BUT HE
WENT AFTER THEM.
HE CHARGED THEM.
LAVOY WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT HE WAS DOING UP HERE.
>> THAT IS NOT A FED, NOT A REPORTER, NOT SOMEBODY WHO IS
BIASED AGAINST THE GUY WHO GOT KILLED, THAT IS ONE OF HIS
COMRADES IN THE MILITIA.
THAT IS ONE OF THE FUCKING MILITIA
MEMBERS SAYING THAT YOU CAN'T TRUST WHAT THE 18-YEAR-OLD
SINGER SAID HAPPENED.
>> IRONICALLY HERE, WE HAVE GUYS WHO I WOULD BE SHOCKED IF THEY
WEREN'T MILITANTLY AGAINST MICHAEL BROWN AND FERGUSON USING
THE DEFENSE THAT HE HAD HIS HANDS UP AND SAID DON'T SHOOT.
>>OTHER THAN THAT GUY.
SOME OTHERS.
>>THE 18-YEAR-OLD.
IN THE MICHAEL BROWN CASE, I BROKE DOWN
THE INVESTIGATION OF THAT, WHERE THE BULLETS ENTERED HIS BODY,
AND WHAT THE WITNESSES SAID.
ONE OF THE THINGS I FOCUSED ON TO
SHOW THAT HE DID NOT HAVE HIS HANDS UP IN SURRENDER, MICHAEL
BROWN, WHEN HE WAS FACING THE COP, WAS THAT A LOT OF WITNESSES
HAD NO REASON TO SIDE WITH THE COPS, AND WHO HAD COMPLAINED
ABOUT POLICE ABUSE, SAYING HE DIDN'T HAVE HIS HANDS UP IN
SURRENDER.
NOW, THE COMMON MISCONCEPTION IS THAT MICHAEL
BROWN NEVER HAD HIS HANDS UP.
THAT IS NOT TRUE.
ACCORDING TO
WITNESSES, SOME WITNESSES AT THE SCENE AND THE BULLETS THAT
ENTERED HIS BODY, HE PUT HIS HANDS UP WHEN THE COP FIRED AT
HIM FROM BEHIND TO LOOK AT HIS HANDS WHEN HE HAD GOTTEN SHOT IN
THE ARM.
THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED TO MICHAEL BROWN.
BUT I TRUSTED
THE GUYS THAT HE WAS NOT SURRENDERING, BECAUSE THEY HAD
NO REASON TO LIE ABOUT IT.
THEY WERE NOT ON THE COP'S SIDE, THEY
WERE NOT AGAINST MICHAEL BROWN, THERE WERE WITNESSES WHO SAID,
HE WASN'T SURRENDERING.
IN THIS CASE IF WE JUST HAD THE GIRL'S
TESTIMONY YOU MIGHT SAY SHE WAS THERE, AND HAVE I SEEN COPS
SHOOT SOMEBODY WHEN THEY WERE ALREADY ON THE GROUND?
OH YEAH.
BUT IN THIS CASE YOU HAVE OTHER MILITIA MEMBERS SAYING IT
DIDN'T HAPPEN THAT WAY, AND THEY HAVE NO REASON TO LIE ABOUT IT.
THEY HAVE REASON TO GO IN THE OTHER DIRECTION.
AND HERE THEY ARE SAYING HE WASN'T SURRENDERING, HE WAS
CHARGING THE COPS, AND THIS GUY JUST SAID THEY
HAD EVERY RIGHT TO PUT HIM DOWN.
>>WE COVER A LOT OF "HE WAS CHARGING AT THE COPS" STORIES,
THAT IS WHAT THEY ALWAYS SAY BECAUSE THAT ALLOWS THEM TO GET
AWAY WITH MURDER IN A LOT OF CASES.
SO THERE ARE ALREADY A
MILLION COMMENT ON THIS VIDEO, AND I WILL GET TWEETS FOR THE
NEXT THREE WEEKS SAYING HE IS A MARTYR FOR THE CAUSE, BECAUSE
FOR PEOPLE WHO SUPPORT THE MILITIA'S INSANE PHILOSOPHY AND
WANT HIM TO BE MURDERED BY THE FEDS -- BUT THERE IS SUCH A
THING AS SUICIDE BY COP, PEOPLE WHO WANT TO BE KILLED BY THE
COPS.
WHEN YOU TAKE A RANDOM 18-YEAR-OLD TEENAGER WHO IS
UNARMED AND SUPPOSEDLY CHARGED THE COPS AND THERE IS NOTHING IN
THEIR LIFE THAT INDICATED THEY WANTED TO DIE, IT DOESN'T MAKE
SENSE TO SAY, ABSENT OTHER EVIDENCE, THEY WERE CHARGING THE
COPS, LIKE THEY THOUGHT THEY WOULD TAKE DOWN THE COPS.
BUT
WHEN YOU HAVE LAVOY FINICUM, WHO SAID TWICE BEFORE BEING SHOT,
JUST SHOOT ME, SHOOT ME OR LET ME GO --
>>THAT IS ACCORDING TO THE FRIENDLY WITNESS.
THE
18-YEAR-OLD WHO IS OUTRAGED.
IN A BEST CASE SCENARIO HE SAID,
JUST SHOOT ME.
IN THE MORE PLAUSIBLE SCENARIO, HE DIDN'T
SAY ANYTHING, HE JUST CHARGED THE COPS AND HE IS HEAVILY
ARMED.
>>AND THIS WAS THE TOP GUY, WE HAVE VIDEO, HE SAID I'M NOT
GOING TO BE PUT IN A CONCRETE BOX, I WOULD RATHER BE DEAD.
I
WILL FIGHT FOR MY FREEDOM.
AND HIS FRIEND, MCCONNELL, SAYS HE
WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT WHAT HE BELIEVED.
I FIND IT HARD TO
BELIEVE THAT ANYONE WANTS TO COMMIT SUICIDE BY RUNNING AT
COPS, BUT IF THERE IS ANY PERSON WHO HAS THE EVIDENCE TO SHOW
THAT THEY WERE PRONE TO DO THAT, IT IS LAVOY FINICUM.
IT IS A
TRAGEDY, I AM NOT HAPPY ABOUT HIS DEATH, I DON'T WANT ANYONE
TO DIE.
BUT THIS IS A GUY WHO CERTAINLY SEEMS LIKE HE DIDN'T HATE
THE IDEA OF NOT MAKING IT THROUGH THE SITUATION.
AND ACCORDING TO PEOPLE ON HIS SIDE, THAT IS WHAT HAPPENED.
>>ONE LAST TIME ON TAMIR RICE.
RIGHT-WINGERS TELL ME HE WAS A
12-YEAR-OLD WITH A TOY GUN AND HE HAD IT COMING.
THE COPS
DIDN'T EVEN GIVE HIM A CHANCE TO PUT IT DOWN, THEY SHOT HIM IN TWO
SECONDS.
BUT HE STILL HAD IT COMING FOR LOOKING A LITTLE
OLDER, FOR TAKING THE ORANGE CAP OFF THE TOY GUN -- ALL THESE
THINGS.
IF YOU ARE THAT SAME GUY, YOU ARE TELLING ME THAT
FINICUM, CHARGING AT OFFICERS, HEAVILY ARMED, DID NOT HAVE IT
COMING?
THAT HE IS THE MARTYR, BUT A 12-YEAR-OLD KID WHO TOOK
THE ORANGE CAP OFF THE END OF HIS TOY PISTOL WAS SHOT IN TWO
SECONDS WITHOUT CHARGING ANYONE, THAT WAS JUSTIFIED?
BUT THIS
WASN'T?
THE ONLY WAY YOU COULD BELIEVE THAT IS IF YOU DECIDED I
DON'T CARE ABOUT FACTS, AND THESE GUYS ARE BOTHERING ME WITH
REASON AND LOGIC, I JUST WANT MY SIDE TO BE RIGHT, SO I'M THE
VICTIM.
FINALLY, THAT IS THE GREAT IRONY HERE.
THE GUYS WHO
COMPLAINED ABOUT LIBERALS OR AFRICAN-AMERICANS WANTING TO BE
VICTIMS -- THEY HAVE THE BIGGEST VICTIM COMPLEX IN THE WORLD.
AFTER WE STOLE THE FEDERAL PROPERTY WITH ARMS AND
THREATENED TO MURDER EVERYONE WHO COMES IN --
>>AND ARE STILL THREATENING TO MURDER EVERYONE WHO COMES IN.
>>THEY ARE ACTUALLY ARRESTING US?
WE ARE THE VICTIMS.
WE ARE
THE VICTIMS.
I HAVE NEWS FOR YOU, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT YOUR
RACE IS, IF YOU DID WHAT LAVOY FINICUM YOU DID, IF YOU SHOT A
VIDEO SAYING I WILL MURDER COPS WHO COME TO TAKE MY WEAPON AWAY
FROM ME, AND THEN YOU START CHARGING COPS WITH YOUR WEAPON,
YOU WILL BE PUT DOWN.
THAT IS THE ONE TIME WHERE, HOW COULD
YOU NOT JUSTIFY THAT SHOOTING?
IF YOU ARE A COP IN THAT
SITUATION AND YOU HAVE A GUY WHO ALREADY TOLD YOU HE WANTS TO
KILL YOU CHARGING AT YOU WITH A WEAPON, WHAT WOULD YOU DO?