Local Oklahoma Representative Justin Humphrey is calling for presidential intervention in a case concerning a raid by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). According to a report from the Oklahoma House of Representatives, Humphrey, a Republican from Lane, has formally requested President Donald Trump's assistance after an ATF action in 2023 against a resident and business owner in Pushmataha County led to what the representative describes as an overreach of federal power.
The case centers around Russell Fincher, a local preacher and schoolteacher who owned a firearms business, whose federal firearms license was forfeited following an ATF raid on his property. Humphrey claims Fincher allowed ATF agents to enter his home and conduct a consent search. "Despite his full cooperation, they conducted a full-scale raid," Humphrey alleges in the statement obtained by the Oklahoma House of Representatives. He further states that the ATF handcuffed Fincher in front of his son and unlawfully seized his firearms without finding evidence of a crime.
Fincher's encounter with the ATF evidently escalated to a point where agents, as per Humphrey's account, told him to warn others that the bureau was targeting their guns and planning to shut down gun shows. Humphrey has taken several actions in response to the raid, including submitting a probable cause statement against the ATF. He also requested that the state's attorney general file charges against the agency for extortion, terroristic threats, and disabling security equipment.
In a gesture questioning state leadership, Humphrey wrote that Oklahoma's attorney general lacked the courage to protect his citizens from such abuses. Hence, the bold move to call upon President Trump to consider filing charges against the ATF, pardon Fincher, and ensure the return of his firearms. "This is one of the most unjust and illegal abuses of law enforcement," Humphrey said. "I stand ready to assist the president in anything he might need from Oklahoma."
