The funeral for the man killed by law enforcement during the armed takeover of an Oregon wildlife refuge is expected to draw supporters from around the West to a small Utah town.
Robert “Lavoy” Finicum, 54, was shot during a Jan. 26 traffic stop after authorities say he reached for a gun in his jacket pocket. His supporters call it an ambush after Finicum and others took over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and demanded the federal government turn over public lands to local control.
His death inspired a call for like-minded followers to come to Kanab, Utah, for his funeral Friday. The day’s events, billed as “Lavoy Finicum’s Stand for Freedom,” include a visitation and funeral followed by a memorial horse ride to a local middle school for a benefit concert.
The events could draw up to 1,000 people, including many from Kanab and the nearby towns of Fredonia and Cane Beds, Arizona, said Sgt. Alan Alldredge of the Cane County Sheriff’s Office. Others are expected to come from Nevada and elsewhere in Arizona.
“They’ve kind of put the call out nationwide,” Alldredge said.