By Darren Smith, Weekend Contributor
On the 40th anniversary of the murder of two FBI agents, Washington State is honoring the art of the two agents’ killer. It is a shameful and dishonorable act that highlights the man who took the lives of two young law enforcement officers and an affront to their families who have for forty years endured resurrection of this killer in the news with little mention of the fallen officers.
Last Thursday I read of a Native American art exhibit being held at the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries headquarters in Tumwater, Washington. Being a fan of Native American art I travelled to the agency to review the artwork. To my dismay in the main rotunda of the state agency’s offices I saw four paintings from Leonard Peltier along with cards reading how to contact Mr. Peltier’s gallery for purchases of his works. I am familiar with his art and these works are consistent with his style of painting.
Leonard Peltier is currently serving two consecutive life sentences for the 1975 murder of FBI Agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams at the Pine Ridge Reservation.
Now, we have a situation where a government agency is promoting the art of this convicted cop killer, which is only certain to generate controversy in the Law Enforcement Community along with the families of those who have lost their loved ones. The State of Washington is sponsoring a murderer’s artwork and providing free advertisements toward its purchase. I view this as highly unethical and a strong conflict of interest. The State of Washington should not be in the business of helping convicted cop killers profit while in prison. It is an insult to the families of agents Coler and Williams and those who have served in the profession.
The great irony of this affair is that the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries is the agency charged with paying benefits to police officers injured on the job and to also administer the Washington State Crime Victim’s Compensation Fund.
In 1975 FBI Agents Jack Coler and Ronald Williams were attempting to question a man suspected of a theft at the Pine Ridge Reservation. A brief informational of the murder may be read here. Execution would be a closer representation of how these agents died. Mr. Peltier was later found in Oregon where he allegedly fired on an Oregon law enforcement officer. Officials found Agent Coler’s handgun in Peltier’s vehicle.
A video dedicated to these agents’ service, along with narration from family members may be seen here.
I do take great exception to Washington State’s actions. The Department of Labor and Industries (L&I) not only hosted the exhibition of Mr. Peltier’s paintings, but made announcements on L&I webpages and composed flyers showing its support of the artwork. Moreover, each of the paintings had a card naming the artist and where to purchase his works. In other words L&I is acting as an agent to advertise a convicted murder’s works where he or his agents will receive revenue and sales as an intended result.
Mr. Peltier has become somewhat of a cause célèbre among Hollywood actors and celebrities convinced that he is innocent. Regardless of this, and the fact that he has genuine artistic skill in his own right, I find this rather insulting to the police community. But for a government agency to display his works and solicit ways for him or his agents to gain money during his incarceration violates ethical constraints of government and the spirit of preventing criminals from profiting from their crimes or incarceration.
Labor and Industries should remove Mr. Peltier’s artwork and refrain from freely promoting incarcerated cop killers or economically supporting their ventures.
Here are some of the pictures I took of the display. The first shows the official flyer having a picture of Mr. Peltier within a prison facility.
Note: The information on the black wall is for another artist, not Mr. Peltier.
For information on the exhibit click here. A copy of the department’s handout may be read here.
Those having questions about this display may contact the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, or telephone their switchboard at (360) 902-5800.
Please honor Ron Williams, Jack Coler and their loving families.
By Darren Smith
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation
Photo Credits: Own work, released to the public domain.
The views expressed in this posting are the author’s alone and not those of the blog, the host, or other weekend bloggers. As an open forum, weekend bloggers post independently without pre-approval or review. Content and any displays or art are solely their decision and responsibility.
By the way, the whole “pigs in a blanket” thing is courtesy of the undercover cops who love to go to protests in places like Baltimore, Ferguson and St. Louis and stir things up.
A little piece of the controversial conviction of Leonard Peltier. It certainly deserves a review, but it is unliley to happen. Of course the record of the FBI, especially in dealing with Native Americans, is pristine and un questionable. Courtesy of Wikipedia:
Numerous doubts have been raised over Peltier’s guilt and the fairness of his trial, based on allegations and inconsistencies regarding the FBI and prosecution’s handling of this case:
FBI radio intercepts indicated that the two FBI agents had been pursuing a red pickup truck; this was confirmed by the FBI the day after the shootout. Red pickup trucks near the reservation were stopped for weeks, but Leonard Peltier did not drive a red pickup truck. Evidence was given that Peltier was driving a Suburban vehicle; a large station wagon style sedan built on a pickup truck chassis with an enclosed rear section. Peltier’s vehicle was red with a white roof—not a red, open-tray pickup truck with no white paint. The FBI agents’ radio message said that the suspect they were pursuing was driving a red pickup truck, with no additional details. At Peltier’s trial, the FBI testified that it had been searching for a red and white van, which Peltier was sometimes seen driving. This was a highly contentious matter of evidence in the trials.[17]
Testimony from three witnesses placed Peltier, Robideau and Butler near the crime scene. Those three witnesses later recanted, alleging that the FBI, while extracting their testimony, had tied them to chairs, denied them their right to talk to their attorney, and otherwise coerced and threatened them.[10][17] Robideau said during an interview in the Robert Redford/Michael Apted film Incident at Oglala (1992), that “we approached” the agents’ cars.
Unlike the juries in similar prosecutions against AIM leaders at the time, the Fargo jury were not allowed to hear about other cases in which the FBI had been rebuked for tampering with evidence and witnesses.[17]
An FBI ballistics expert testimony during the trial asserted that a shell case found near the dead agents’ bodies matched the rifle tied to Peltier. He said that a forensics test of the firing pin, which would have more definitively matched the gun to the cartridge case, was not performed because the gun was damaged in the fire. A less definitive test indicated that the extractor marks on the case and rifle matched.
Years later, after an FOIA request, the FBI ballistics expert’s records were examined. His report said that he had performed a ballistics test of the firing pin and concluded that the cartridge case from the scene of the crime did not come from the rifle tied to Peltier. That evidence was withheld from the jury during the trial.[17]
Though the FBI’s investigation indicated that an AR-15 was used to kill the agents, several different AR-15s were in the area at the time of the shootout. Also, no other cartridge cases or evidence about them were offered by the prosecutor’s office, although other bullets were fired at the crime scene.[10][17] During the trial, all the bullets and bullet fragments found at the scene were provided as evidence and detailed by Cortland Cunningham, FBI Firearms expert, in testimony. (Ref US v. Leonard Peltier Vol 9).
According to Peltier, when he appealed his first degree murder conviction in 1992, the charge was illegally changed to aiding and abetting.[18]
The Pennsylvania Parole Commission, which presides over the Lewisburg prison where Peltier was held, denied Peltier parole in 1993 based on their finding that he “participated in the premeditated and cold blooded execution of those two officers.” But, the Parole Commission has since stated that it “recognizes that the prosecution has conceded the lack of any direct evidence that [Peltier] personally participated in the executions of the two FBI agents.”[19]
I see our President, who praises a group that chants, “Pigs in a blanket, fry ’em like bacon,” pardoning this sociopath killer as one of his last acts of incompetence.
I guess these cops were murdered by aliens? Or did they both commit suicide? But, the most ignorant question is “why were the FBI on the reservation to serve a warrant for the alleged theft of some boots” Well, maybe it’s because ALL laws broken on a reservation are FEDERAL laws! There are many Indians who do time in Federal prisons for what are state crimes everywhere else.
CUT & PASTE
Lisa N
“So if this Mr. Peltier was such an upstanding citizen, according to a few misguided liberals (what else would they be) on here, how is it that two cops were killed serving him a warrant then? ”
Uh Lisa they weren’t serving him a warrant, they were looking for a guy named Jimmy Eagle.
QUOTE “Mr. Peltier has become somewhat of a cause célèbre among Hollywood actors and celebrities convinced that he is innocent. Regardless of this, and the fact that he has genuine artistic skill in his own right, I find this rather insulting to the police community.”
So if the FBI framed this guy for the murders, we shouldn’t insult them!?!?
The FBI has been caught more than once trying crap like that. They even tried it with the guy that found the backpack bomb, Jewel. Hounded him till he passed away, and then they found out the REAL guy that was guilty.
In this case they pressured the woman that was on the extradition order, and when she was ready to testify against the FBI then the judge ruled she was mentally incompetent.
This case certainly sounds like another case of FBI abuse under the “color of law”.
Why was the FBI on the reservation to serve a warrant for an alleged theft of some boots? The warrant had nothing to do with Peltier. The rifle that supposedly killed the agents wasn’t, it was falsified evidence by the FBI. In an environment of COINTELPRO with FBI agents setting up murders of the leaders of the Black Panthers and the American Indian Movement, some skepticism about the FBI tale is in order. There is a lot of information available about what happened on the reservation and how Peltier was the scapegoat. A bit of research should change your anger from the state of Washington to the injustice done to Peltier who is is a political prisoner and who should have been released decades ago, once the lies of the FBI had been revealed.
Well Darren, This has brought out the cop killer lovers. I suppose in a world w/ BLM screaming “Pigs in a blanket, fry ’em like bacon” and a couple days later a cop being assassinated. In a world where our President praises a group like that. In a world where said President calls his FBI chief onto the carpet for speaking the truth about that rhetoric, that a govt. agency would glorify a murderer. I have read much about this case. Peltier is good for the murder. He was convicted in a court of law.
As we all know many crimes, including mass murder, are committed by members of all sectors of society, Typically only the underclass are arrested, convicted and imprisoned. It’s not just the underclass who are guilty of heinous crimes. Everyone deserves respect for the positive things they do, even elite war criminals, who are rarely punished at all.
Leonard Peltier was the template of show trials in the United States and these trials are now the rules rather than the exception.In the Spirit of Crazy Horse,Peter Mattheson discusses this case and it highlights the sheer cowardice and corruption of the American political and judicial system
This is a good case study of “who did it”.
Either Leonard Peltier did it or the FBI framed him, but someone pulled the trigger.
Leonard is considered a folk hero in Indian country. This entire media grooming after 40 years makes Lenny look like saint, but who pulled the trigger? An AR-15 with shell casings is the clue.
Wishful thinking: Obama Commutes Sentences of 46 Federal Prisoners, But What About Leonard Peltier?
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2015/07/13/obama-commutes-sentences-46-federal-prisoners-what-about-leonard-peltier-161056
So if this Mr. Peltier was such an upstanding citizen, according to a few misguided liberals (what else would they be) on here, how is it that two cops were killed serving him a warrant then?
Oh wait, I know, it was the guns fault right! Oh and let’s not forget, Peltier fired at a 3rd cop by a dead cops gun. Oh wait, according to you liberals, the gun must have jumped into Peltier’s car to purposefully get him a murder charge. SMH
Shame on Joel Sacks of Labor & Industries for promoting a cop killer and shame on anyone who thinks Peltier is a misunderstood boyscout.
Odd that a government agency is “promoting” art at all.
As for Amerindians, they rarely see actual justice.
Bam Bam,
Thank you for your concern. Professor Turley was not a party to this as it was I who wrote the article.
I visited the agency in person and expressed my opinion about the display and wrote to the listed responsible person at the agency. As of this time I am writing to you, the agent has not responded to me. I also took the photographs myself so I can verify that these paintings and signs were there.
I’m curious, JT–not that you are in the habit of responding to the comments on these articles, but I have a question. A legitimate one, in my opinion. No disrespect intended, on my part.
You mention that you traveled to the Native American art exhibit being showcased at the headquarters for the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries. You make reference to the artwork, by Leonard Peltier, a convicted cop killer, being inappropriately hawked in the building’s rotunda. You WRITE about your dismay regarding this murderer’s glorification and apparent tribute, along with snapping photos of the display, but did you actively EXPRESS your repulsion and disappointment, while you were there, present, in person, at the facility? I’m not referencing throwing a tantrum or acting inappropriately, but did you ask to speak with anyone in authority to relay your objections? While the telephone number provided to submit our concerns is helpful, we, the readers, were not there, in person, on the premises, to view this disgraceful homage. I’m just wondering whether you took the time and the effort to voice your objections, face to face, with those in positions of authority at the agency? Given your name recognition, including your stature in the legal community, your opinion, espoused at the facility, with the top officials, would’ve meant something. I doubt that nameless and faceless complaints, taken by a switchboard operator, will have that much of an impact.
Even if we assume the worst of Peltier, I don’t think I can agree. Peltier is not enriching himself from the crime – for example by selling the rights to a book about the incident which would be deeply offensive.
I have to ask my self which is worse: a criminal spending the rest of his life in prison doing nothing useful for anyone, or a prisoner spending the rest of his life doing something of value for others.
I think the answer to that is clear. If only other convicts could also find a way to be of service.
If we keep Peltier from realizing himself as an artist all we do is assure that nothing positive comes from the tragedy of the agents deaths. I can’t believe that is really the desired outcome of those who object to Peltier’s art.
What a shameful lack of judgement. Our government should not give free marketing to an incarcerated convicted cop killer.
Thank you for the article, and for the contact information to voice our disapproval. If we hold our government representatives accountable, perhaps they will show better judgement in the future.
At the very least, people who haven’t read extensively about Peltier’s case could Google his name to get all sides of the case, rather than strike out rhetorically with only the FBI’s side of the story.
This is an abomination. WTF has happened to the once great state of Washington? Everyh week you post something more outrageous from your state. Peltier is a sociopath cop killer.
Reblogged this on saboteur365.