From the Radio Free Michigan archives ftp://141.209.3.26/pub/patriot If you have any other files you'd like to contribute, e-mail them to bj496@Cleveland.Freenet.Edu. ------------------------------------------------ I was viewing silver dragon's web site and came across a letter from a gentleman living in Idaho voicing his impressions of Bo Gritz. Since Gritz is sometimes villified (perhaps justifiably, perhaps not) here is an excerpt from his newsletter that came into my possession concerning Gritz' version of the Weaver incident. Perhaps you can use this to add to the debate regarding the Weaver situation and who did what. I doubt Mr. Gritz is going to pitch a fit about posting without permission, but you could always call and ask. It was taken verbatim (any typos are mine) from his Center For Action Monthly Newsletter Vol. 4 No. 6 January 1995 pages 6 & 7. The address on the front is: Center for Action Monthly Newsletter c/o HC 11 Box 307, Kamiah, Idaho PZ83536 (208)935-2918. No Excessive Force in Weaver Murders-Not Deval Patrick, head of the DOJ Civil Rights Division, ruled Friday, 9 December, that the FBI did not intentionally use any excessive force in the murder of Sammy and Vicki weaver. This "decision" is contrary to the recommendation of the FBI's internal investigation recommendation. The fact is that sniper Lon Horiuchi did not shoot Randall Weaver as stated, and then "accidently hit Vicki as he was trying to get a second shot off as Randall ran into the cabin." The truth is: The Hostage Resuce Team went up the mountain with the pledge: "None of them (Weavers and Kevin Harris) are coming down alive!" A senior member of the Red Cross support team told me that he was standing directly behind HRT agents as they loaded machine guns and heard the commitments to kill Randall, Vicki, Sara, Rachel, Elisheba, and Kevin Harris. When I arrived, Randall yelled to me from the cabin that the FBI had murdered his wife and were keeping it a secret. Dick Rogers, HRT leader, told me that FBI shrinks had profiled Vicki as the "maternal head who would kill the children before they would allow a surrender." He said they had orders to "Shoot to kill on sight." Every sniper team has three elements: C-cube (Rogers) Command, Control, Communications gives the final clearance and authority to fire; number 2 is security and communications for the sniper. This person is armed with a pistol and M-16 rifle firing .223 caliber ammunition. His job is to insure that nothing interfers with the sniper in engaging his target. He relays clearance for the kill from C-cube; number 1, the sniper, is armed with a Remington 700 rifle firing 7.62 mm Match ammunition from a prone sand-bagged, or bipod, rest position using a 10 power USMC scope. Horiuchi's position was beside a large pine 150 meters from the out building beside the cabin. Little Sammy was shot in the back by Arthur Roderick using an M-16 on 21 August 1992. Three U.S. Marshals including William Degan, most decorated agent in the 206 years history of the service. Marshall Larry Cooper was equipped with a Colt 9 mm silenced submachine gun for the specific purpose of killing Striker, Sammy's Yellow Lab. The Marshall's prepared ambush positions near the "Y" ( a road split not far from the Weaver cabin). After months of electronic monitoring and high altitude photos using RF-4 recon aircraft, they knew that Striker would alert on deer and elk near the cabin. Weavers would typically grab hunting rifles and run after the dog to bag the game. The Marshalls spooked Striker and he started chasing them down the hill toward the prepared positions. Cooper was afraid and failed to fire at Striker. He said Lil Sammy was too close. Roderick shot the dog as Degan opened up on Kevin Harris. Randall was delayed and heard the firing from the cabin. He yelled: "Sammy come home!" Sammy's last words were, "Dad, I'm coming!" Roderick shot him in the back as he ran up the trail. Sammy died instantly. Cooper tesitified: "I aimed my weapon and pulled the trigger. My target fell like a sack of potatoes." Kevin Harris was not shot that day. He fled into the woods and worked his way back up to the home-site. Degan, trying to get a better shot at Kevin ran firing in front of Cooper's position. Not able to hear the silenced Colt, he was killed. The Marshalls then withdrew. Vicki, upon hearing what had happened to Sammy, instantly went down the hill to see about her son in the company of Kevin and Randall. They retrieved his body and placed the body in a small out-building next to the cabin. The Marshalls told the FBI they had been pinned down by vicious fire from the entire family - Degan had been killed by Weaver. The next day, Randall, Kevin and Sara went outside to check on Sammy. As Weaver stood with his back to Horiuchi and lifted his right arm to unhook the latch he was shot without warning in the right upper back by a .223 projectile. The bullet exited out of his right arm pit. Randall turned to run for the cabin. Vicki, holding 10 month old Elisheba in her left arm, stood holding the door open with her right arm. Kevin Harris was the first in, followed by 16 year old Sara and then Randall. Vicki was shot square in the face just in front of the right jaw just below the ear with a 7.62 round which exited the left side of her face slightly below the jaw severing her jugular vein. Horiuchi testified that Vicki fell to her knees screaming for several minutes until she died from loss of blood - still clutching baby Elisheba to her breast. Kevin Harris was hit in the left upper arm and chest as he entered the cabin. The family barricaded themselves until my arrival. The HRT surrounded the cabin while the FBI Headquarters in the valley put up a sign proclaiming their position, "Camp Vicki." This is a clear cut case of premeditated murder. Federal rules of engagement prevent firing at a fleeing felon not endangering the lives of others. Weavers never fired a single shot from the cabin throughout the seige. FBI negotiators did their best to initimidate Weaver into a shoot out. They positioned a 750 pound robot, nicknamed by them "ZOGBOT" blocking the door by Vicki's body. The robot was armed with a 12 guage shotgun and a claw clutching a black box wrapped with wire. Over the robot loud speaker the FBI shouted provocations to the family about the dead mom. The day I arrived the FBI positioned a helicopter over the cabin with a fuel cell. Jack, a logger, and Randall's sometime boss, and a TV camerman on an adjacent hill started waving and jumping up and down. The pilot spotted the pair and notified the commander that they were under surveillance. The bird aborted the mission and landed back at the valley Hqs. I asked Rogers about the chopper. He admitted that it had a suspended fuel cell, but said it was to resupply the HRT base. He had no comment when I asked him why, if it was just an innocent resupply, did the craft abort when observed by Jack and the camerman. Some day there will be a day of reckoning where judges won't be robed in black. Those guilty of the murder of Vicki and Sammy will be tried, as will those who covered up this heinous crime. "Vengeance is mine," saith the Lord! Lon Horiuchi lives in Woodbridge, VA near the Quantico Marine Base and FBI Academy. Current reports state that Horiuchi has been given 24 hour security and has had to move from his previous home. Butch Reno has until March to respond to the wrongful death suit filed by Gerry Spence on behalf of the Weaver survivors. Justice may yet be partially served in this Civil Trial. The suit is for $50 million per living family member. ------------------------------------------------ (This file was found elsewhere on the Internet and uploaded to the Radio Free Michigan archives by the archive maintainer. All files are ZIP archives for fast download. E-mail bj496@Cleveland.Freenet.Edu)