The family of Robert “LaVoy” Finicum is speaking out after FBI Director Kash Patel awarded its prestigious Shield of Bravery award to members of its Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) who were involved in the well publicized 2016 operation in Harney County, Oregon, that ended in Finicum’s murder during the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation.
Finicum, a 54-year-old Cane Beds rancher, father, grandfather, and devoted foster parent to nearly 50 children, was a vocal spokesman for the protest against federal overreach on public lands. Inspired by the 2014 Bundy Ranch standoff in Nevada, he joined Ammon Bundy and others in occupying the refuge in early 2016, to highlight grievances over federal land management policies that they argued stifled ranchers and local economies. Finicum, often seen in cowboy attire with a Bible in hand, became a symbol of defiance, preaching non-violent resistance while warning he would rather die than submit to tyranny.
LaVoy’s widow, twelve children, and forty-five grandchildren say the FBI’s official citation contains false information, including claims that he rammed a federal vehicle, pinned an agent, and was headed to a “clandestine meeting.”
In reality, he was on his way to a publicly announced town hall meeting hosted by county law enforcement. “The government is honoring men while ignoring the unresolved questions of our father’s death,” the family said. “He was shot in the back three times, fired upon with his hands raised, and his truck — with women inside — was riddled with bullets. Evidence was mishandled, and he was labeled a ‘Domestic Terrorist’ without trial or due process. To call this bravery dishonors truth and justice.”
The Finicum family has sent a letter to FBI Director Patel requesting:
- Correction of false statements in the award citation.
- Clarification of the legal grounds for labeling LaVoy a “Domestic Terrorist.”
- Full transparency and release of records surrounding the operation.
“Every medal given without the truth acknowledged or to those who do not deserve it is another wound for our family,” the statement continued. “We want closure, not commendations based on falsehoods.”
The decision, quietly announced in an internal FBI newsletter earlier this year, has also drawn sharp condemnation from Finicum's friends and supporters, who view it as a blatant whitewashing of a premeditated murder and a cover-up by federal forces.
The tragic events unfolded on January 26th, 2016, as Finicum drove a convoy toward a public meeting in John Day, Oregon. FBI and Oregon State Police set up an unmarked roadblock on a snowy highway, leading to a high-speed chase. Finicum's truck swerved to avoid the barrier, fishtailing into a snowbank. As he exited the vehicle with hands raised in apparent surrender, he was shot three times in the back by state troopers, fatal wounds that pierced his heart.
Video footage released by the FBI shows the chaos, but eyewitnesses like Ryan Bundy, who was in the truck and still carries an FBI bullet in his arm, insist Finicum was unarmed and compliant when agents opened fire unprovoked.
Compounding the outrage, investigations revealed FBI HRT agents fired two undisclosed shots at Finicum's truck, one hitting the roof, the other missing, before the state police shots. Agents, including W. Joseph Astarita, initially lied about discharging their weapons, leading to Astarita's 2017 indictment on charges of making false statements and obstruction of justice.
The scene was allegedly tampered with: Bullet casings vanished, evidence was mishandled, and agents scoured the area without preserving it, violating protocols. Deschutes County Sheriff Shane Nelson called it a "failure" that damaged law enforcement integrity.
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