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Ruby Ridge refers to a controversial confrontation and siege involving Randy Weaver, his family, Weaver's friend Kevin Harris, federal agents from the United States Marshals Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The events started on August 21, 1992 on the Weaver family property, located on a hillside between Caribou Ridge and Ruby Creek near Naples in northern Idaho.
The confrontation began when Weaver, his friend Kevin Harris, and his 14 year old son, Samuel, confronted Federal agents who were serving a warrant for Weaver's arrest. A firefight resulted in the deaths of Samuel and US Marshal William Degan. As a result Weaver and Harris retreated to the house for 12 days. On day two, Lon Horiuchi, an FBI sharpshooter, shot at Weaver and Harris, injuring them. Major controversy exists about Vicki Weaver who was shot and killed. Weaver supporters claim that she was shot as she held their baby daughter, who was mistaken as a weapon . The stand-off was ultimately resolved when Weaver and Harris surrendered and were arrested. Weaver was ultimately acquitted of all charges except missing his original court date and violation of his bail conditions, for which he was sentenced to 18 months and fined $10,000. Credited with time served, Weaver spent an additional 4 months in prison. Harris was acquitted of all charges.
The surviving members of the Weaver family filed a wrongful death suit and Randy Weaver received a $100,000 settlement while his daughters received $1 million each. Weaver wrote a 1998 paperback book, The Federal Siege At Ruby Ridge, about the incident. Kevin Harris received a $380,000 settlement.
Vicky Weaver Controversy
An FBI sniper, Lon Horiuchi, shot and wounded Weaver in the right arm, while he was lifting the latch on a shed to visit the dead body of Sammy Weaver with others. Then, as Weaver, his 16-year-old daughter Sara, and Harris ran back to the house, Horiuchi took a second shot, which struck and killed Vicki Weaver and wounded Harris. Vicki Weaver was standing behind the door through which Harris was entering the house, holding their 10-month-old baby Elishiba in her arms. A Justice Department review later found the second shot was unconstitutional and the lack of a request to surrender was "inexcusable", since Harris and the two Weavers were running for cover and could not pose an imminent threat. The task force also specifically blamed Horiuchi for firing at the door, not knowing whether someone was on the other side of it, along with those who had decided on the special rules of engagement allowing shots to be fired with no request for surrender.
The sniper's two shots were fired at 6:00pm 22 Aug 1992; the Weavers did not return fire but retreated to the cabin. At 6:30pm, an armored personnel carrier came to the cabin and announced the presence of law enforcement. According to the Weavers, this was the first formal announcement of the presence of law enforcement.
A stand-off ensued for 10 more days as several hundred federal agents surrounded the house, in which Weaver and his three surviving children remained with Harris.
See also
Suggested reading
| The neutrality of this article is disputed. Relevant discussion may be found on the talk page. Please do not remove this message until conditions to do so are met. (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
- Alan Bock. Ambush at Ruby Ridge: How Government Agents Set Randy Weaver Up and Took His Family Down. ISBN 1-880741-48-2.
- Jess Walter. Ruby Ridge: The Truth and Tragedy of the Randy Weaver Family, The Spokesman-Review received a Pulitzer Prize nomination for its coverage of the story. ISBN 0-06-000794-X.
- Jon Ronson (2002). Them: Adventures with Extremists. ISBN 0-7432-3321-2.
- Randy and Sara Weaver. The Federal Siege At Ruby Ridge: In Our Own Words. ISBN 0-9664334-0-8.
- Christopher Whitcomb. Cold Zero: Inside the FBI Hostage Rescue Team. ISBN 0-552-14788-5.
- Danny O. Coulson & Elaine Shannon. No Heroes: Inside the FBI's Secret Counter-Terror Force. ISBN 0-671-02062-5
References
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
usnewswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Peoplewas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - "STATE OF IDAHO v. LON T. HORIUCHI" (PDF). Findlaw.com. June 5, 2001. Retrieved 2007-10-05.
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External links
- Idaho v. Horiuchi (Case Number: 98-30149)
- Court television history
- Excerpts from From Freedom to Slavery, by Gerry Spence (Randy Weaver's defense attorney)
- Department Of Justice report