NCJ Number
191599
Date Published
April 2001
Length
20 pages
Annotation
This document provides an unofficial account of the 1993 Waco, Texas, incident.
Abstract
The Waco incident was the worst disaster in the history of Federal law enforcement. More than 80 people, agents and civilians, lost their lives. Unfortunately, the “official” investigation was incomplete. The factual record does not support the sweeping exoneration of Federal officials. Scores of lives could have been saved if Branch Davidian leader David Koresh had simply walked out and surrendered peacefully. But his refusal to do so cannot absolve Federal officials from what they did at Waco. On allegations that the Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) officials could have arrested David Koresh when he was away from the compound, the ATF conceded that they never conducted round-the-clock surveillance of Koresh. The ATF agents involved in the February 28th raid have admitted “missteps, miscalculations and unheeded warnings that could have averted bloodshed.” The unofficial findings of crimes at Waco are that ATF agents attacked a television cameraman, ATF agents lied to Federal investigators, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents fired more than 350 ferret rounds into Mt. Carmel, and that FBI agents used tanks to demolish sections of Mt. Carmel. Conduct that warrants further investigations is whether National Guard helicopters strafed Mt. Carmel, whether FBI agents knew about any Davidian fire plan, whether gunfire was directed at the Davidians on April 19th, and whether Federal employees obstructed justice. 114 notes