FBI agent found not guilty of lying about Oregon standoff shooting

The Associated Press

7 years ago

Arizona rancher and anti-government protestor LaVoy Finicum, center left, speaks during a news conference by the entrance to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters, which the group is occupying, near Burns, Ore. on Tuesday, Jan. 5, 2016. Chase Stevens/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @csstevensphoto

In this Jan. 5, 2016 file photo, Robert “LaVoy” Finicum, center, a rancher from Arizona, talks to reporters at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge near Burns, Ore. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)

PORTLAND, Ore. — An FBI agent has been found not guilty of lying about firing shots at a militia leader who participated in the armed takeover of an Oregon wildlife refuge.

A jury on Friday returned the verdict on W. Joseph Astarita.

Astarita was charged with making false statements and obstruction of justice after telling investigators he did not fire two shots that missed Robert “LaVoy” Finicum, a key figure in the group that seized the eastern Oregon refuge in 2016 while protesting the imprisonment of two ranchers. Oregon State Police fatally shot Finicum seconds later.

Astarita denied firing the shots.

Federal prosecutors had argued that Astarita was a rookie on the elite Hostage Rescue Team who panicked as Finicum came close to running over his teammate at a police roadblock.