When armed suspects stand off against the law today, one event continues to cast a shadow on both sides of the police line: the 1992 siege at Ruby Ridge.

Get our weekly newsletter

How the Shootout at Ruby Ridge Resonates in the Gun Debate Today

Producer: Erik German
Associate Producer: Meral Agish

In 1992, federal agents surrounded the remote Idaho cabin of fugitive Randy Weaver, wanted for selling two illegal sawed-off shotguns to an informant. By the time Weaver surrendered 11 days later, his wife, 14-year-old son and a federal agent were dead.

The outcry afterwards sparked Congressional hearings and investigations that shook the highest ranks of the FBI. It also began a new way of thinking about police tactics that has impacted some of the most far-flung corners of the country.

Transcript

More on the Story

Cautious Response to Armed Oregon ProtestThe New York Times
The 11-Day Standoff That Forced the Feds to ChangeThe Takeaway
Related Coverage
An Idaho Family, and Federal Tactics Under Siege The New York Times
Retro Report Documentary on Ruby Ridge Features SPLC ExpertSouthern Poverty Law Center
Ruby Ridge Standoff is subject of latest New York Times video projectThe Idaho Statesman
New York Times' Retro Report: Ruby Ridge: American StandoffTicklethewire.com