Editing Ruby Ridge standoff (section)

=== Special ROE and sniper/observer deployment ===
By Saturday, August 22, special rules of engagement (ROE) were drafted and approved by FBI Headquarters and the Marshal Service for use on Ruby Ridge.{{r|rubyreport517_545|p=520}} According to the later RRTF report to the [[United States Department of Justice|DOJ]] (1994), the Ruby Ridge ROE were as follows:

# "If any adult in the area around the cabin is observed with a weapon after the surrender announcement had been made, deadly force could and should be used to neutralize the individual."
# "If any adult male is observed with a weapon prior to the announcement deadly force can and should be employed if the shot could be taken without endangering any children."
# "If compromised by any dog the dog can be taken out."
# "Any subjects other than Randy Weaver, Vicki Weaver, Kevin Harris presenting threat of death or grievous bodily harm FBI rules of deadly force apply. Deadly force can be utilized to prevent the death or grievous bodily injury to oneself or that of another."

(From the sworn statement of FBI SAC Eugene Glenn).<ref name="RRTF_OPR_IVF2b">RRTF, ''Report of the RRTF to the OPR'' (1994), Ch. IV., §F.2.b., text before footnote 553, and again after footnote 714 (the latter of which corresponds to this numbered list); at pp. 163–172.</ref>

As noted in a footnote to the report in this crucial section:

{{blockquote|The [ROE] was modified from "adult" to "adult male" [in ROE point 2] to exclude Vicki Weaver around 2:30 or 3:00 p.m. after consultation with [SAC Eugene] Glenn because Vicki Weaver was not seen at the site of Degan's slaying.<ref name=RRTF_OPR_IVF2b_fn553>RRTF, ''Report of the RRTF to the OPR'' (1994), Ch. IV., §F.2.b., footnote 553, in pp. 163–172.</ref>}}

The ROE were communicated to agents on site, including communication to HRT sniper/observers prior to deployment, communications that included the change of "adult" to "adult male" to exclude Vicki Weaver.<ref name=RRTF_OPR_IVF2b_fn553 /> Some deployed FBI agents, in particular the sniper/observers, would later describe the adopted ROE as a "green light" to "shoot on sight".<ref name=RRTF_OPR_IVF>RRTF, ''Report of the RRTF to the OPR'' (1994), Ch. IV., §F., pp. 155–228.</ref>

On Wednesday, August 26, four days after Vicki was killed, the ROE that had been in effect since the arrival of the HRT were revoked. Per Glenn's direction, the FBI's Standard Deadly Force Policy replaced the ROE to guide the law enforcement personnel that were to be deployed to the cabin perimeter. The FBI rules of deadly force in effect in 1992 stated that:

{{blockquote|Agents are not to use deadly force against any person except as necessary in self-defense or the defense of another, when they have reason to believe that they or another are in danger of death or grievous bodily harm. Whenever feasible, verbal warnings should be given before deadly force is applied.}}

This was in stark contrast to the permissive ROE adopted for the Ruby Ridge stand-off.<ref name="permissive">{{cite news|last1=Lardner Jr|first1=George|last2=Lei|first2=Richard|title=Permissive Rules of Engagement' at Issue in Ruby Ridge Shooting|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1995/07/14/permissive-rules-of-engagement-at-issue-in-ruby-ridge-shooting/41005d73-b0cd-4104-ac25-e6b02d27e734/|newspaper=The Washington Post|access-date=July 23, 2017|date=July 14, 1995}}</ref><ref name=WalterEveryKnee98>{{ cite book|author=Walter, Jess|year=1996|orig-year=1995|title=Every Knee Shall Bow: The Truth and Tragedy of Ruby Ridge and the Randy Weaver Family|page=[https://archive.org/details/everykneeshallbo00walt/page/190 190]|location=New York|publisher=HarperPaperbacks|isbn=0061011312|url=https://archive.org/details/everykneeshallbo00walt|url-access=registration|access-date=February 7, 2017}} The link to this title is to the 1996 edition.</ref>