SECOND EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT RAISES MORE QUESTIONS
by TJ McCann, III, ©2016, blogging at Liberty Born
(Jan. 29, 2016) — [Editor’s Note: The following is an addition to an article published on Wednesday on the author’s blog and at The Post & Email on Thursday.]
Beyond Victoria Sharp‘s video statement, there is a second eyewitness video description of the events from the driver of the other vehicle, Mark McConnell. McConnell only witnessed the Finicum vehicle’s original stop approximately 200 yards head of him, and was then able to see a person he was unable to identify exiting that vehicle and being taken into custody, which would be Ryan Paine.
McConnell does not provide any indication of shots at that other vehicle prior to Finicum driving it further down the road and into the snow drift.
In the video statement, McConnell claims that Finicum exited his vehicle and “charged” at the law enforcement officers, resulting in Finicum’s shooting. However McConnell indicates this claim was provided to him second hand by Shawna Cox, a passenger of Finicum’s vehicle, while they both were in police custody. This claim that Finicum exited his vehicle and charged law enforcement officers is specifically contradicted by Victoria Sharp’s own video interview, in which Sharp indicated of Finicum, when specifically asked by the interviewer, that “he (Finicum) was just walking with his hands up.” Sharp further indicated that Finicum’s hands were still up when he fell.
Without direct confirmation from Shawna Cox, it is quite possible that McConnell has misinterpreted something Cox told him, and that there is no actual witness claiming that Finicum charged toward the law enforcement officers.
Furthermore, Victoria Sharp’s statement about Ryan Payne and the Finicum vehicle being shot at by law enforcement at the initial stop, would serve to justify Finicum having driven further down the road, as well as him stating to law enforcement “just shoot me” upon exiting the vehicle, without this being any sort of death wish on Finicum’s part. Finicum’s responses become far more legitimate given the fact that he was originally shot at without cause. However Mark McConnell’s own video statement provided no indication of there being shots fired when the Finicum vehicle was originally stopped and within his sight.
Ryan Bundy was reportedly wounded in the shoulder by the enormous rain of bullets and gas canisters shot at Finicum’s vehicle, following Finicum being shot dead.
The lead vehicle – driven by LaVoy Finicum, with Ryan Payne in the passenger seat, and in the rear seat was Ryan Bundy (L), Victoria Sharp (C), and Shawna Cox (R).
The trailing vehicle – driven by Mark McConnell, with Ammon Bundy and Brian “Buddha” Cavalier as passengers.
Given this, to further establish the events immediately resulting in LaVoy Finicum’s death, we need to obtain direct testimony from Ryan Bundy and/or Shawna Cox regarding the final moments, and from Ryan Payne to establish that there was indeed shooting by law enforcement officers at the original vehicle stop.