This is likely to put a strain on the local/fed law enforcement relations. Plus, U.S. Senators have gotten involved and are bothered by the tactics used during the raid. Don’t expect to see this vanish any time soon.
By Nate Carlisle
The Salt Lake Tribune
SALT LAKE CITY — The San Juan County sheriff says federal agents pointed guns at nearly everyone they arrested there during last month’s artifacts raids and made “smart ass” remarks.
Sheriff Mike Lacy said an FBI characterization of the raid is “100 percent wrong.” The FBI agent in charge for Utah has said his agents pointed a gun at one person to gain compliance.
But Lacy on Thursday said up to 14 of the 18 San Juan County residents arrested or served during the raid had a gun pointed at them.
Much of the gun pointing was done by U.S. Bureau of Land Management agents, said Lacy, whose brother was among those arrested. Perhaps 150 BLM agents participated in the raids, Lacy said, and they spurred most of the citizen complaints.
