KANAB, Utah -- Sympathizers of the Oregon armed standoff gathered Friday to mourn an Arizona rancher and occupation spokesman who was killed last week in a confrontation with authorities.
Inside a packed Mormon church Friday, Robert "LaVoy" Finicum was called a man of conviction and not a threat to the FBI agents and Oregon state troopers who shot him on Jan. 26.
"My dad was murdered defending the liberties so that we may be free of bondage," said Brittney Beck, Finicum's daughter.
Finicum's death on a remote Oregon road has become a symbol for those decrying federal oversight of public lands in the West and elsewhere and has led to protests of what they call an unnecessary use of force. The FBI released video of the shooting during a traffic stop that showed Finicum's hand reaching into his jacket.
At the funeral, Finicum's family drew on their faith and quoted Scripture in describing their father as a man of conviction and courage.
One daughter, Thara Tenney, said her father was "defiled, mocked and eventually slain."
"He had never, not once, abandoned his trust in the Lord," she said.
"He's a hero to me, honest. His heart is for everybody," said former occupier Ben Matthews of Port Huron, Mich. , who came to Kanab to pay his respects.
Tenney stood outside the church before the funeral with her uncle Guy Finicum. She said she wasn't sure what lies ahead.
"I know he was where he needed to be," Tenney said. "He was doing what he needed to do. Knowing he was a God-fearing man, and his heart was where it needed to be, I feel peace."
Guy Finicum, recalled the rancher as full of life.
"Bravest person I ever knew," he said.
The day's events in this town just north of the Arizona border were billed as "LaVoy Finicum's Stand for Freedom." After the funeral, organizers planned a memorial horse ride to a local middle school for a benefit concert.
Sheriff's officials and the Utah Highway Patrol were on hand to ensure the events were peaceful. Given the anti-government sentiment expected among the crowd, local law enforcement agencies pleaded with the FBI and other federal agents to stay away.
Family and friends wore red, white and blue ribbons featuring Finicum's picture and pieces of blue tarp pinned to their shirts. Finicum had been called "the tarp man" after spending a night under a tarp at Malheur National Wildlife Refuge when he feared an imminent raid by officials.
The ceremonies came as four people continued to occupy the federal property in southeastern Oregon. Most of the compound emptied out after the traffic stop that led to Finicum's death and the arrest of the group's most prominent figures, including Ammon Bundy.
The holdouts want assurances they won't be arrested if they leave. That's unlikely after they were indicted this week along with 12 other defendants, including Bundy.
The standoff began Jan. 2, with the group demanding the government change federal land policies and free two ranchers imprisoned for setting fires. The government says the group brandished firearms to keep officials from carrying out their duties, threatened violence and intimidated locals.
Defense attorneys have said their clients engaged in civil disobedience and are being punished for political speech. They say the only use of force during the standoff was by police who shot Finicum.
Of the 16 charged with felony conspiracy, only three have been allowed to leave jail ahead of trial. They include Shawna Cox, who was in Finicum's truck when he was shot.
Just hours before the funeral, a federal judge in Portland allowed Cox to attend the ceremony in her hometown but ordered her not to discuss the standoff.
A Section on 02/06/2016