Ruby Ridge

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Ruby Ridge is characterized by the media name for the estate of the family Weaver , located in a remote mountainous region in the north of the unnamed US -Bundesstaates Idaho is between Ruby Creek and Caribou Ridge just outside the small town of Naples in Boundary County . The location became known through a conflict in August 1992.

background

Agents of the then US government agency Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) (German: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms ) tried the Aryan Nations (German: "Aryan Nations") - a group of white racists - to infiltrate. Randy Weaver, a nearby farmer, was not a member of the Aryan Nations, but shared some of their views with his wife Vicki and had attended the Aryan Nations Church more than once. He therefore seemed suitable to infiltrate the racist group, but refused to accept this idea. Possibly to get him to do so, an ATF undercover agent persuaded him to saw off the barrel of his shotgun . There is disagreement between Weaver and the ATF over who ultimately shortened the run below the legally permitted minimum.

He was summoned for this offense but did not appear in court. As a result, an arrest warrant was issued against him, although it was known that the reason for not showing up was because he had been given a wrong appointment. The United States Marshals Service , which was responsible for the arrest of Weaver, delayed the arrest for over a year, only to persuade him to give up through messages sent through a friend, as Weaver no longer wanted to move from his property.

Events

After 18 months of monitoring Weaver's estate in preparation for the arrest, the assistant director of the Marshals Service's Special Operations Group suggested that the charges be dropped and later reopened under lock and key so that Weaver would not have heard of the new charges. Although he strongly advised against it, several US marshals entered the estate on August 21, 1992 for clandestine surveillance, carrying a considerable number of rifles, including a sniper rifle, in addition to their service weapons.

Since they were discovered by the Weavers' dogs, the officers began to withdraw. Randy Weaver, his 14-year-old son Sam, and a family friend, Kevin Harris, approached, all armed. The events of the subsequent shooting are controversial in terms of whether the officers identified themselves and who fired the first shot. Sam Weaver, Deputy Marshal Bill Degan, and a dog (believed to have started the shooting) were killed.

The next day, Harris was injured by a sniper and while trying to kill him, Vicki Weaver was accidentally shot in the head while holding her ten-month-old child. After ten days, Weaver finally gave up.

consequences

In a 1993 lawsuit, Weaver, represented by noted trial attorney Gerry Spence, was acquitted of all charges by successfully pleading self-defense. He was sentenced to 18 months' imprisonment and a fine of US $ 10,000 for missing the original court hearing that triggered the events.

Later investigations criticized the behavior of federal officials and recommended criminal prosecution, which, however, was never carried out. The surviving members of the Weaver family received $ 3.1 million in compensation for pain and suffering through a closed settlement.

In September 1995, Senate hearings were held that resulted in a report criticizing the FBI and other law enforcement agencies.

A charge against the sniper of negligent homicide has been dismissed by several courts.

Wrote Review in 1998 about the incident the book The Federal Siege At Ruby Ridge (Engl. The federal siege in Ruby Ridge , alluding to the participating Federal Law Enforcement Agencies, the Federal enforcement authorities).

Weaver's death, together with the likewise fatal storming of the Branch Davidians' settlement in Waco , Texas, on April 19, 1993, was considered by the right-wing extremist militia movement as evidence of the New World Order conspiracy theory : According to this, the US federal government is planning the sovereignty of the USA to cede to a world government that wants to enslave all people. To prepare for this, she is tightening gun laws and terrorizing anyone who opposes it.

media

The Ruby Ridge Events were filmed in 1996 as The Siege of Ruby Ridge, starring Laura Dern , Randy Quaid and Kirsten Dunst . They also served as a template for part of the Arlington Road (1999) film plot .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Claus Leggewie : Fed up with the Feds. News about American paranoia. In: Kursbuch 124: Conspiracy Theories. 1996, p. 121.

Coordinates: 48 ° 36 '36 "  N , 116 ° 26" 42 "  W.