Rancher killed in refuge standoff vowed to die before jail
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A rancher who was killed during a traffic stop while in Oregon for an armed standoff at a wildlife refuge recently vowed he would die before going to prison.
Fifty-five-year-old LaVoy Finicum of Cain Beds, Arizona, died after law enforcement officers initiated the stop Tuesday night near the Malheur (MAL'-hure) National Wildlife Refuge.
It's unclear what happened in the moments before the shooting, or if Finicum or others exchanged gunfire with officers. Authorities wouldn't say how many shots were fired.
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On Jan. 5, Finicum told reporters at the refuge that he learned there was a warrant for his arrest. With rifle in hand, he said he would die before spending the last of his days in a cell.
The traffic stop happened as group leader Ammon Bundy and his followers drove to a community meeting in the town of John Day. Bundy and seven other occupiers were arrested.
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Boone reported from Boise, Idaho.