Police Say an Antifa Activist Likely Shot at Officers. His Gun Suggests Otherwise.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

SEATTLE — When a U.S. Marshals task force killed a self-described antifa activist in Washington State in September, the Trump administration applauded the removal of a “violent agitator” who was suspected of murder. Last week, local investigators concluded a monthslong homicide inquiry with the announcement that the activist, Michael Reinoehl, had most likely fired at authorities first, effectively justifying the shooting.

But a review of investigation documents obtained by The New York Times suggests that investigators for the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office discounted key pieces of contradicting evidence that indicate Mr. Reinoehl may never have fired or pointed a gun.

While investigators found a spent bullet casing in the back seat of Mr. Reinoehl’s car, and pointed to that as evidence he probably fired his weapon, the handgun they recovered from Mr. Reinoehl had a full magazine, according to multiple photos compiled by Thurston County authorities showing Mr. Reinoehl’s handgun. The gun was found in his pocket.

The federally organized task force, made up primarily of local law enforcement officers from Washington, had been seeking to arrest Mr. Reinoehl for the Aug. 29 shooting death of a supporter of the far-right group Patriot Prayer during the summer’s raucous street protests over race and policing. The arrest operation quickly erupted into gunfire, and Mr. Reinoehl died in the street near his car in a residential neighborhood in Lacey, Wash.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/police-say-an-antifa-activist-likely-shot-at-officers-his-gun-suggests-otherwise/ar-BB1fv33E

[The Magistrate]

1. I Abhor Clumsy Lying, Sir

Lying that is not even intended to deceive, but only to demonstrate, and enlist others in, insolent denial of the truth.

[panader0]

2. Truth was perhaps the greatest victim of the trump years.

From the campaign right into the White House, truth became "fake news" and "alternate facts"
were the new party line. His cult followers ate it up. It persists and will take a good deal of work
to weed it out.

[sciencescience]

3. Police departments will lie about anything big or small.

Telling the truth about their own actions is a very low priority for them.

[stopdiggin]

4. I expected a better brand of cover-up

something at least slightly plausible ...
Read the entire NYT piece -- and came away grasping for anything that looked even like reasonable doubt. The weapon found on Reinoehl was still in his pocket -- but more importantly, had a full clip.

(I can go with the idea that LE thought this individual was dangerous -- he was -- and that they, perhaps, thought he was 'reaching' -- but it's pretty clear that he did not 'fire first' -- or ever.)

[PJMcK]

5. Cops lie an awful lot

Nearly all of us have experienced this fact at some time.

I was on the jury for a criminal case. The defendant was an African-American man who was accused of carrying an illegal weapon known as a gravity knife, (think of a switch blade, sort of). It was actually a utility knife for cutting linoleum tiles at his job, a tool you can buy at Home Depot for under $20. He was facing up to 7 years in jail and he never drew the knife nor threatened anyone. There were two arresting officers but only one testified. Hmmm. His account was riddled with inconsistencies and he insisted that certain facts weren't what they appeared to be. We acquitted the poor man in less than 15 minutes and everyone of the jurors said the same thing:

"That cop was a dirty liar."

I am certain that there are many good cops but they shouldn't stand behind the "blue line." The bad cops are ruining our society.

[gratuitous]

6. So they lied and murdered a man

Who's going to do anything about it? Now, let's talk about how unfair everything has been to Kyle Rittenhouse?

[TheRealNorth]

7. This was a murder so Trump could go on TV and let the Proud Boys know that he would kill for them

The whole thing was set up so that it would trigger a confrontation. Unmarked car & plainclothes cops - how would Michael Reinoehl have known the people trying to "apprehend" him were not alt-right'ers posing as police.

I don't even understand why this was not a local police matter and that the Marshalls were involved.

[TheRealNorth]

8. I also wonder how much of the "posse"

had connections with the alt-right.

[maxsolomon]

9. Stinks to high heaven.

The Feds deputized a bunch of trigger happy rural cops and the 1st one opened fire THROUGH the windshield of their own vehicle with an MSSA.

They put 40 bullets in Reinoehl.

None of them wore a bodycam.

One cop declined to make a statement.

The only witness who says he fired a gun was an EIGHT YEAR OLD.

His gun was still in his pocket.

Reinoehl is about the only confirmed Antifa "member" in America, and he was extrajudicially executed, with barely a peep from the Democratic Party or Liberals in general. Not even much upset in evidence on DU, either, and I thought we were all "The Far Left".

Throw in the memory hole, right?

[Thunderbeast]

10. So...it appears to be less an attempt to arrest....

....and more likely an assasination.

[Hugin]

11. I recall the former guy blubbering about extra-judicial executions and how...

keen they were at about the time this outrage went down.

[Thunderbeast]

12. He was very proud of his brand of "swift justice".