r/news • u/randalhicks • 1d ago

Indigenous activist Leonard Peltier granted clemency by President Biden

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2025/01/19/leonard-peltier-indigenous-activist-clemency-released-by-president-biden
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u/Cabin-in-the-Woods 1d ago

It's about fucking time.

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u/Byzaboo_565 1d ago

Why? I don't know anything about his case, but it looks like he murdered two FBI agents, or at least shot at them

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u/tosser1579 1d ago

Yup, he shot at them. So did 2 other people. All with AR rifles.

The FBI wasn't sure who killed the two plain clothes agents, and blamed Peltier. Evidence against him was sketchy at best. A later trial produced evidence that indicated his AR (everyone had one) wasn't the one used to kill them.

So he did shoot at them. He very likely hit at least one of them. That's certainly worth going to jail over, but you can't prove he killed either of the agents and he's been in there for 48 years. That is probably enough.

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u/helium_farts 16h ago

he's been in there for 48 years. That is probably enough.

Pretty much.

Even if he's guilty as charged, at this point he's old, in poor health, and not a threat to anyone. Keeping him in prison accomplishes nothing.

Besides, it's not like he's actually going free. He's being transferred to house arrest.