Robert “LaVoy” Finicum, an Arizona rancher and one of the leaders of the armed militia in eastern Oregon, was the man killed in a shootout with federal officials on Tuesday, two of his children have said.
Over the past three weeks, Finicum, 55, became one of the main spokesmen for the Malheur national wildlife refuge occupation, often leading the daily news conferences, posting regular dispatches on his YouTube page and organizing some of the most high-profile actions protesting against the federal government’s regulations of public lands.
“My dad was such a good good man, through and through,” daughter Arianna Finicum Brown, 26, told the Oregonian. “He would never ever want to hurt somebody, but he does believe in defending freedom and he knew the risks involved.”
Another daughter, Challice Finicum Finch, told NBC News: “We all thought it would end, but not like this.
“My dad did stress that they wouldn’t pull a gun on them [officers] unless they pulled a gun. They were all committed to not firing on federal agents.”
Finicum – along with militia leader Ammon Bundy and four other men – was stopped while driving down a rural highway outside of the refuge, according to the FBI. During the arrest, shots were fired, killing Finicum and injuring one other.
The men, who typically travel with armed guards, had left the refuge for a community meeting they had planned in John Day, a town roughly two hours north of the occupation. It is unclear how many shots were fired and how the confrontation with federal officials escalated in the first place.
Supporters of the militia said they were devastated by the news of Finicum’s death.
“He was an amazing, amazing man,” said Carol Bundy, wife of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, who led the standoff against the federal government in 2014. “I know he would never provoke an officer. There’s no way he would do it.”
Finicum had 11 children and numerous grandchildren, according to Carol Bundy, who said she spoke on the phone with his distraught wife on Tuesday night.
Since the occupation began on 2 January, Finicum has repeatedly made national headlines for his tactics and speeches. He helped remove part of a government fence and took down nearby cameras that he said the FBI was using for surveillance purposes.
Finicum also previously told the Guardian that he had left Oregon with Ryan Bundy, one of the men arrested on Tuesday, to help recruit other ranchers to support the fight against the federal government. Along with Cliven Bundy, Finicum has said he is one of a small handful of US ranchers who has stopped paying grazing fees to the government – to have cattle use public lands – in protest against federal regulations.
Most recently, Finicum posted a video of himself rummaging through Native American artefacts stored at a building at the refuge’s headquarters.
Finicum, who always wore a cowboy hat and was typically armed, gained further notoriety for a national television interview he did while huddled under a blue tarp in the cold of night. He was also one of the main liaisons for local and national reporters stationed in the nearby town of Burns.
“They shot him in cold blood,” said Cliven Bundy, Ammon’s father.
Carol Bundy said Finicum was one of the most passionate protesters she met at her ranch in 2014. “He was fighting so his children and grandchildren could live in a free country and not be afraid of their own government,” she said.
“He’s so gentle and kind and people enjoy listening to him,” she continued. “He was well-versed in the constitution. He would explain it in a way that would make you love the constitution … When he saw a chance to stand for the things he loves, he took it … He gave his life for it tonight.”
On Tuesday night, law enforcement officials provided few details about the fatal shooting. The FBI said the Oregon state police and the local Harney County district attorney’s office would be investigating the use of deadly force.
Throughout the occupation, officials have insisted that they were taking a cautious and measured approach in an effort to avoid violence.