The widow of LaVoy Finicum will soon file a suit against state and federal law enforcement over the death of her husband last year.
Finicum was killed during a traffic stop in which authorities arrested leaders of the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
Brian Claypool, the lawyer representing Jeanette Finicum, said the police didn’t have probable cause to stop the occupiers in the first place.
“None of them had committed any type of serious crime," Claypool said. "They hadn’t robbed a bank. They hadn’t carjacked anybody. They hadn’t murdered anybody.”
The lawsuit will also allege police used excessive force, he said. It could be filed as early as next week.
Last year, an investigation into the incident found that Oregon State Police were justified in shooting Finicum. An investigation is ongoing into two shots FBI agents fired that did not hit the Arizona rancher.
Jeanette Finicum has helped organize a meeting Saturday in John Day to promote her husband's political beliefs.
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