A dozen Arizona legislators have signed a letter sent to Oregon’s governor in response to an Arizona man killed in a standoff earlier this year.
The letter was also sent to the FBI director. It addresses the struggle between an armed group occupying an Oregon wildlife refuge and federal agents, as well as state troopers.
It was a state trooper who shot and killed Arizona rancher LaVoy Finicum, that a multi-agency investigation found to be justified.
But, the letter, written by Republican State Rep. Bob Thorpe, asks the governor for a transparent investigation into the federal government’s actions.
“Mr. Finicum is, in some regards, like-minded with some of us down in Arizona because we have a real concern of federal control of lands in Western states,” Thorpe said.
A Peoria man is also charged with a felony in connection with the occupation.
“My feeling is that it probably wasn’t the best approach that they took, but they were well within their constitutional rights to do what they did,” Thorpe said.
The Oregon governor’s office said via statement that the matter is closed for state and local authorities, and that federal authorities are still investigating.
