Fbi Sniper’s Shot Illegal, Panel Finds

A Senate panel has concluded that an FBI sniper’s shot that killed the wife of white separatist Randy Weaver in North Idaho was illegal.

In a report to be released today, the panel sharply criticizes other actions by federal law enforcement agencies in the 1992 case, which also resulted in the deaths of the Weavers’ 14-year-old son and a deputy U.S. marshal.

An FBI sniper shot Weaver’s wife, Vicki, as she stood behind the cabin door holding her infant daughter, on Aug. 22, 1992. A day earlier, the Weavers’ son, Sam, and Deputy U.S. Marshal William Degan died in a gunfight as federal agents scouted Weaver’s property in anticipation of arresting him on a weapons charge.

The Senate report concluded that the shot fired by the sniper, Lon Horiuchi, killing Vicki Weaver, violated her constitutional rights. It did not address whether he should be prosecuted.

The panel praises recent corrective actions taken by FBI Director Louis J. Freeh, particularly in limiting use of the FBI’s hostage rescue team, but said it was concerned about Freeh’s “questionable judgment” in both reprimanding and promoting his former deputy and close friend, Larry Potts.

A copy of the report by the Senate Judiciary subcommittee on terrorism was reviewed by The Associated Press on Wednesday.

The ousted Potts is among five top FBI officials now under suspension amid a federal criminal probe of the destruction of some documents related to the Ruby Ridge operation.

Freeh has previously acknowledged that the FBI made serious mistakes at Ruby Ridge. He also has instituted several changes in its wake, including revamping and expanding the bureau’s crisis management teams.

The new requirement that the rescue team cannot be deployed without the FBI director’s approval “will help avoid future tragedies like Ruby Ridge,” says the report.

On Tuesday, Freeh announced that he had taken an additional step, ordering all members of the rescue team to receive training in hostage negotiations, behavioral science and crisis management.

U.S. Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, called the additional training “a very important step.”

“I’m extremely pleased that the hearings and the pressure we’ve placed on the FBI as a result of Ruby Ridge is beginning to yield change,” Craig said.

, DataTimes MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: FINAL REPORT The report reaffirms and expands on the conclusions of an earlier draft reported last month.