The man in the Sierra 1 sniper post at Waco and the Sierra 4 post at Ruby
Ridge was FBI marksman Lon Tomohisa Horiuchi. Over the past seven years, he
has become the most controversial law enforcement officer in America. For
most of that time, the 45-year-old West Point graduate and former infantry
officer has been in courtrooms or preparing his defense. At Ruby Ridge,
Horiuchi shot and killed Weaver's wife, Vicki, 43, as she held their
10-month-old daughter behind the door of their cabin. He also shot and
wounded Weaver, 44, and his friend, Kevin Harris. At Waco, some 80 members
of the Branch Davidian religious sect perished after the FBI and other law
enforcement agencies moved to end the 51-day siege.
Being there. Now it's Horiuchi who is in the crosshairs. He is the only
individual defendant still left in the wrongful death civil lawsuit filed by
Branch Davidians and their survivors against the federal government. His
attorneys say he is innocent, that he "didn't take any shots whatsoever at
Waco." But Houston lawyer Michael Caddell, who represents some of the
Davidians, says the group has "specific evidence" showing that Horiuchi did
fire his weapon. Earlier this year, a federal judge in Waco ruled that the
Davidians had uncovered "at least some evidence to support their claim" that
Horiuchi fired into the burning building.
How did this 15-year FBI veteran, the son of another U.S. Army officer, wind
up in such a legal quagmire? What caused this husband and father, a
politically conservative Catholic who homeschools some of his six children,
to become such a figure of hatred? Horiuchi's actions at Waco and Ruby Ridge
have been documented in great detail. Perhaps it is the significance militia
groups have attached to both events, rather than the events themselves, that
has intensified the focus on him. For now at least, Horiuchi is not saying.
His attorneys have counseled silence, and that seems to be Horiuchi's
preferred response in any case. "He's a very private person, very protective
of his family," says Adam Hoffinger, one of the lawyers for Horiuchi, a
third-generation Japanese-American who grew up in Hawaii. "We're determined
to let him get on with his life."
To his defenders, Horiuchi-who has testified he could hit a quarter at 200
yards-is a consummate pro, honed as a military officer, burnished as a
leader of an FBI Hostage Rescue Team (HRT) sniper crew. "He was dedicated,
hard working, aggressive. He was trying to do the right thing, trying to
serve his country in a stressful environment," David W. Johnson, head of the
HRT from 1985 to 1989 and once Horiuchi's supervisor, told the Albany (N.Y.)
Times Union in 1995. FBI Director Louis Freeh has also stood by his agent,
stressing that his job entailed making "split-second decisions."
To his critics, Horiuchi is a "paid FBI assassin" carrying out the wishes of
an increasingly hostile and unresponsive police establish- ment. "After a
year-long review, the U.S. Justice Department decides . . . not to charge
sniper Lon Horiuchi with any crime. Like the Germans at Nuremberg, [Justice
Department officials] declare he was 'just following orders,' " snapped a
Las Vegas Review-Journal editorial after the government closed an
investigation of Horiuchi's actions without filing charges.
Repeat defendant. By the time he became a defendant in the current Waco
case, Horiuchi had already been in an Idaho federal court on
involuntary-manslaughter charges in connection with Vicki Weaver's death. A
federal judge dismissed the case last year, ruling that "Mr. Horiuchi,
rightly or wrongly, was clearly acting under orders authorized by the U.S.
government to go shoot and kill an armed male adult because the threat to
human lives had already been determined by his supervisors based on the
facts then known to them." The decision is being appealed by the state of
Idaho.
Horiuchi and 10 other HRT snipers were flown to the Idaho siege after U.S.
Marshal William Degan and Randy Weaver's 14-year-old son, Sam, were killed.
They were positioned around the cabin when Randy Weaver, his daughter Sara,
and their friend Kevin Harris attempted to go to a shed where Sam's body
lay. As the trio neared the shed, Horiuchi fired once with his .308-caliber
Remington rifle, equipped with a powerful scope, hitting Randy Weaver in the
arm. He fired again as the group ran back to the cabin. This round smashed
through the door, striking Vicki in the jaw and killing her almost
instantly. The same bullet also seriously wounded Harris. Horiuchi later
testified he did not see Vicki behind the door and that he believed Randy
Weaver and Harris, who was carrying a rifle, posed a threat to an FBI
helicopter hovering overhead. (According to Jess Walter, author of Every
Knee Shall Bow, a book about the showdown at Ruby Ridge: "There were 11
snipers on the hill, and they all heard the same helicopter. He was the only
one who fired.")
Less than a year later, Horiuchi was again at a sniper post, this time
outside the Davidian complex, and his actions there are emblematic of why
questions about Waco won't go away. New evidence has spawned charges of a
government coverup, which the feds deny and former Sen. John Danforth is now
investigating (box). The FBI denies its officers fired any shots. But Branch
Davidian attorneys insist that the FBI's own infrared videotape, taken from
a small aircraft circling above during the last day of the Waco standoff,
reveals "characteristic repetitive flashes" associated with gunfire coming
from federal agents and from inside the house. They say there are also
photos of shell casings on the undercover building where Horiuchi and other
snipers were stationed. But firearms experts say it would be nearly
impossible to match them with Horiuchi's weapon. "They re-barrel those
[sniper] weapons no less than every two years," says one weapons analyst.
In the wake of Ruby Ridge and Waco, the FBI has tempered its tactics,
emphasizing negotiation over force. To wit: The bureau used third-party
mediators instead of force to peacefully end the 81-day Montana Freeman
standoff in 1996. "Lon Horiuchi changed the history of how the government
deals with so-called right-wing groups," says Kirk Lyons, chief trial
counsel of the Southern Legal Resource Center, who represents several of the
Davidian plantiffs. "Before Lon Horiuchi, they were considered extremist,
but he made [their] criticism of the government legitimate and mainstream."
If true, it is an ironic legacy for a man who has dedicated his life to
defending that government.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Aleisha Saba" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Sunday, June 18, 2000 4:09 AM
Subject: Re: [CTRL] Weavers Awarded $3.1 Million by US Government
> I am still wondering after reading the article below, who is this Lon
> Tomohisa Horiuchi - the man who is a sharpshooter for the FBI (?) who
> murdered in cold blood, Vicki Weaver while she held a baby in her arms -
> and after the order was out to kill the dog first, as it could be a
> problem (family pet) which drew out the little 8th grader where he too
> was murdered, going to the aid of his dog who was already dead.
>
> I have known West Point Men, and this bum somehot fit....or is this what
> West Point has become under corrupt congressmen and
> Administration....how much did spm in West Point - a man who was
> involved in JFK kill?
>
> This despicable animal, this vicious sadistic killer - this Lon Tomohisa
> Horiuchi, was a member of the Chinese Club at West Point; however,
> Horiuchi I thought was Japanese name?
>
> What kind of creatures do they let into West Point these days - Jewish
> Mafia Meyer Lansky's son got appointment to West Point - and this is the
> man who is alleged to have set up plan to murder JFK because of
> operations in Cuba - the mob lost over $100 million a year and today
> they want back.
>
> So read this story - and see how evil this element is in our government
> and how they entrapped Weaver to begin with - but to bring in this
> alleged "sharpshooter", this sadistic pig Ln Tomohisa Horiuchi, graduate
> of West Point - well he could not be much to end up a killer
> sharpshooter could he.
>
> This vicious Chinese animal - but then look what is happening, Clinton
> giving neutron bomb secrets away, Red Chinese have Panama Canal, and
> these vicious killers are turned against Amrican Citizens now?
>
> Thanks to lady who sent me the information on this guy.....he reminds me
> of the vicious killers who infiltrated Viet Nam and killed our American
> Soldiers.
>
> Anybody have any biography on this Horiuchi? Red Chinese now have
> missiles aimed at West Coast and means by which to deliver same,
> according to sources on web. And Russia - drugs galore from China and
> Russia - just 50 miles across Bering Strait to Alaska USA, and follow
> the Sollog line to Arkansas after stopping off in Colorado and on to
> Florida.....
>
> A Saba
>
> Here is story with information showing how despicable our FBI is today -
> and then wondr what West Point Graduate is doing with FBI as a
> sharpshooter - is that al is does, or is this yellow bellied bastard a
> UN "peacekeeper"....remember, Clinton said let hem get first shot - but
> who shot the dog, to get the 8th grader in open to murder? And this
> bastard Lon Tomohisa Horiuchi was at Waco also - is this creep a Ninjh
> also - he loves to kill doesn't he.
>
>
> Weaver Awarded $3.1 Million from US Government
> The following was pieced together from printed reports of Ruby Ridge, a
> Prime Time Live show detailing the events of Ruby Ridge, and the Weaver
> and Harris transcripts of the trial.
> While admitting no wrong, the US Government settled suits filed by the
> Weaver family over the killing of his 14 year old son and his wife by
> federal law enforcement officials at Ruby Ridge in Northern Idaho. The
> payment settles claims filed by Weaver and his two daughters. The
> original claims totaled $200 million. The Justice Department released a
> statement on the day they agreed to the settlement that said in part:
> "The settlement reflects the loss to the Weaver children of their mother
> and brother. By entering into a settlement, the United States hopes to
> take a substantial step toward healing the wounds the incident
> inflicted."
> How it Started
> Weaver had been approached by an informant to the BATF (Bureau of
> Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms) to sell him sawed off shot-guns. Weaver
> apparently relented after several times telling the informant no. He
> sold two shot-guns to the informant in October of 1989. The shot guns
> sold to the informant according to the FBI were a mere 1/4" short of the
> legal barrel length for shot-guns. Weaver contends they were perfectly
> legal at the time he sold them to the informant.
> Weaver was given bogus information on when to appear in court on the
> weapons charges. Rather than correcting the error, the Federal officials
> declared him a fugitive.
> However, a Federal Judge ruled after the siege at Ruby Ridge that the
> weapons charges amounted to entrapment by the FBI. Weaver had been sent
> erroneous information on when to appear for his court date - in what
> appeared to be a deliberate attempt by Federal authorities to initiate
> the confrontation. It would have been a simple matter to correct the
> error and give Mr. Weaver another chance to appear. That in part is why
> the Federal Judge ruled the gun charges amounted to entrapment.
> Then it Happened: All Hell broke Loose
> On August 21st, 1992, deputy marshals botched a surveillance attempt
> after entering the Weaver property in fatigues and facial camo. They
> were armed with night vision devices and fully automatic "assault"
> weapons. Their orders were to shoot the family dog as the dog would make
> it difficult to continue their surveillance. The family dog caught wind
> of the intruders and was shot by one of the marshals (according to
> published reports, that Marshall was Art Roderick).
> Weaver's son Sammy fired back with his Mini-14 rifle. Randy Weaver was
> shooting his shotgun into the air and screaming for Sammy to return to
> the cabin. As Sammy turned to run, he was shot in the back and with a
> 9mm slug that ripped through his arm nearly severing it from his body.
> It was then that Harris returned fire apparently killing the U.S.
> Marshall. The FBI were called to the scene the next day.
> That day (August 22nd) an FBI sharpshooter shot Weaver's wife Vicki as
> she stood with an infant in her arms in the doorway of her cabin. The
> sharpshooter had contended (up until the time Congressional and Senate
> hearings began) that he had been aiming at an armed man (later said to
> be Harris) who was threatening a helicopter. That same sharpshooter is
> now invoking the Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination as he took
> the stand last week in the Senate hearings on Ruby Ridge.
> Randy Weaver had originally gone outside his cabin to a shed which held
> the body of his now dead son Sammy. As he was opening the shed,
> sharpshooter Lon Horiuchi shoot Weaver in the right shoulder. Vicki
> Weaver went to the door cradling their 10 month old in one arm as she
> held the door open for Harris, Weaver and daughter to hurry through and
> take cover. The second shot shattered the window hitting Vicki in the
> throat. The bullet passed through her face and wounded Harris.
> Subsequent testimony at the Weaver trial about the days that followed
> the shooting of Vicki and Sammy is even more disturbing. It was
> disclosed that the FBI would taunt Weaver, knowing that his wife and son
> were dead, by blasting a loud speaker towards the cabin with sayings
> such as "Good morning Mrs. Weaver - we're having pancakes, what are you
> having for breakfast?"
> Shoot to Kill
> The rules of engagement were also changed the night before by FBI
> commanders. The new rules instructed FBI sharpshooters in part that they
> "could and should" use deadly force against any armed male spotted in
> the open. The standard rules of engagement for the FBI are such that
> they can only use deadly force in situations to protect themselves or
> the lives of innocent people. Originally, the FBI concluded that its own
> sharpshooter had followed the standard procedures and not the modified
> rules of engagement handed down at Ruby Ridge.
> Now the FBI states that they suspect the original Justice Department
> report contained false statements and is flawed by a document being
> destroyed.
> Twelve FBI officials were originally disciplined including Larry Potts
> who was promoted earlier in the year to be 2nd in command of the FBI
> under its director Louis Freeh. But the discipline Potts received was
> nothing more than a censure or reprimand over the incident (the same he
> received when he lost a cellular phone that belonged to the agency).
> Potts along with five others (including the sharpshooter) are now on
> suspension from the bureau until the Justice Department concludes its
> investigation.
> The government tried Randy Weaver and Harris on conspiracy and murder
> charges. They were acquitted on all counts. Weaver was convicted of
> failing to appear for trail on an earlier weapons charge and did serve a
> prison term.
> The Senate hearings on Ruby Ridge continue as does the Justice
> Department Investigation.
> Ed.
> Editorial Comment
> What bothers me the most about the Ruby Ridge affair is the cavalier
> attitude our high government officials have towards the abuse of power
> of in this case. Lost documents, altered rules of engagement, an FBI
> official in charge at Ruby Ridge (Larry Potts) being promoted, and now
> the FBI sniper taking the Fifth so as not to incriminate himself.
> Originally, when this all started to surface, we heard that Randy Weaver
> was not a nice man. He was a "white separatist". A label that is still
> used by the media whenever his name is mentioned. His political views,
> and his personal views on who he wants to associate with should not be
> on trial here!
> Part of living in a free society is to be politically incorrect. That is
> what freedom is all about. But you don't shoot someone because their
> view of the world is different than yours and mine. What appears to have
> happened here is that the BATF, failing to get Weaver to sell illegal
> firearms, may well have manufactured their 1/4" short barrel story in
> order to entrap Weaver. At least one Federal Judge thought the entire
> Weapons charges to be bogus enough to declare Weaver was indeed
> entrapped by the government.
> After the shootout that kills Weavers wife and son, the government
> continues its persecution of Weaver and Harris with a trial in which
> they were acquitted of all charges.
> I personally know FBI officials (in fact my nephew works for the Bureau)
> and like all groups of people, the majority are fine Americans I would
> be proud to have as friends and neighbors. However when absolute power
> corrupts, it corrupts absolutely! In these cases I firmly believe it is
> the attitudes of the likes of Potts, Reno and other ranking officials in
> these departments that transmits the wrong messages to the troops! In
> this case they went so far as to rewrite the rules of engagement with
> what amounted to a shoot to kill order.
> Even as a soldier (which FBI operatives are not), you have a moral
> obligation to say no to orders you know to be unconstitutional or
> illegal. You may not like what happens to you and your career, but there
> is a higher calling everyone must answer to than his or her career. But
> when their commanders and role models are in so much need of repair,
> Ruby Ridge and Waco are the shadowy outcomes that result.
> Stay tuned to the hearings on this affair. It seems rather strange that
> the ones who are calling for more federal power and more agencies to
> carry weapons are also the strongest opponents to firearm ownership by
> the general populace. Coincidence? I don't think so.
> Gary Shade - Ed.
>
> All html screens � 1995 Gary and Susan Shade, and Shade's Landing.
> E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
> A. Saba
> Dare To Call It Conspiracy
>
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minor
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CTRL
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Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
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