cannabisnews.com: Family Files Lawsuit in Rainbow Death





Family Files Lawsuit in Rainbow Death
Posted by CN Staff on December 03, 2003 at 07:15:44 PT
By Adam Jackson, Tribune Staff Writer 
Source: South Bend Tribune 
Authorities say 28-year-old Rolland Rohm signed his own death warrant when he pointed a gun at an armored vehicle full of police officers. Rohm's family says the authorities are blatantly lying.And this week, the family of the slain pro-marijuana activist filed a civil lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Detroit alleging that Rohm, known as Rollie to his friends, was wrongfully killed during a police standoff at the Rainbow Farm Campground during Labor Day weekend 2001 -- and that investigators conspired to cover it up.
"This was murder, pure and simple," Rohm's stepfather, John Livermore, said. "It was a hate crime."Rohm's death came at the end of a five-day police standoff at the campground, which kicked off when Rohm and his partner, 46-year-old Grover "Tom" Crosslin, barricaded themselves in a farmhouse on the campground property after torching several buildings on the property.The men were reportedly upset about court proceedings in which Crosslin was facing possible prison time and Rohm had had his son, Robert, 12, removed from his home and placed in state foster care.While police received tips from neighbors that the men were armed, a crew from WNDU-TV, Channel 16, South Bend, covering the fires in a helicopter, were reportedly fired upon from the ground. Because firing at an aircraft is a federal offense, FBI teams were soon on scene, along with the local and state police agencies responding.Those FBI agents proved to be Crosslin's undoing on Sept. 3, 2001, when he and a friend, Brandon Peoples, encountered FBI sharpshooters in the woods near the home. Police reports indicate that Crosslin raised his Ruger Mini-14 rifle in the direction of one of the snipers, causing others in the area to shoot him immediately.But Rohm was still alive in the barricaded farmhouse. After friends and family members pleaded with him to turn himself in all through the night, he finally agreed, but said he needed some sleep before doing so.Rohm, however, never turned himself in. When flames erupted from the farmhouse early on the morning of Sept. 4, police moved in to prevent his escape, with one team using a tanklike Light Armored Vehicle to move around one side of the house.And it was at that vehicle that authorities say Rohm aimed his rifle while he knelt next to a small pine tree, causing the Michigan State Police sharpshooters to kill him.Not so, Livermore said."Neither of the autopsies agree with what is in the reports," he said. "There is no way he was pointing a gun at them."The lawsuit, in which Rohm's estate is listed as plaintiff, names as defendants Daniel Lubelan, John Julin, Jerry Ellsworth, Steve Homrich, David Bower, Joseph Zangaro, Joe Jones and Dave Rampy.While police reports list Lubelan and Julin as the triggermen, all eight men were members of a Michigan State Police team who were maintaining a perimeter around the farmhouse at the time of the killing.A spokeswoman for the Michigan State Police said the agency maintains a policy of not commenting on matters involving pending litigation.Scott Teter, then the Cass County prosecutor, did not file charges in the deaths. He said his investigation showed conclusively that the deaths of both men were justifiable homicides under Michigan law.Dearborn, Mich., attorney Christopher Keane, who is representing the Livermore family, said they have been gathering information in preparation for the lawsuit for more than a year."We have a very strong case," Keane said. "The only justification for a shooting like this is if someone is in imminent danger.""No one was in imminent danger" from Rohm, he said.Should the Livermores win the civil case, they could receive monetary compensation, in which case John Livermore said the vast majority would go to Robert Rohm, who has lived with other relatives since the loss of his father.But Livermore said he and his family are looking for something besides money in the case: They want answers. Answers about inconsistencies they believe are in the published police reports about the killing. Answers about disturbing discoveries they say they have made, such as the slain man's testicles disappearing some time during the police investigations.And answers about why Rohm was killed in the first place, if, as they believe, he was not threatening the police in any way."We want the truth, and we want what is right for (Robert)," Livermore said. "There are a lot of things about this that don't add up."No court dates have been set for the case.Note: Rohm's shooting called 'hate crime'Source: South Bend Tribune (IN)Author: Adam Jackson, Tribune Staff WriterPublished: December 3, 2003Copyright: 2003 South Bend TribuneContact: vop sbtinfo.comWebsite: http://www.southbendtribune.com/Related Articles & Web Site:Tom & Rollie Memorial Pagehttp://www.freedomtoexhale.com/rb.htmWe Will Not Forget, Rainbow Farm Supporters http://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17217.shtmlFriends Remember Rainbow Farmhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17213.shtmlSiege At Rainbow Farmhttp://cannabisnews.com/news/thread17211.shtml
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Comment #9 posted by RevHappy on December 04, 2003 at 15:56:44 PT:
Fake Things Forgotten, Real Thing Grow
Twenty people came to the last Rainbowfarm vigal with signs and kids in a pouring rain. You can't have Rainbows without the rain. Rainbowfarms isn't fading away, its solidifying a movement. Its life and death. Its proof.Some of us already knew this.
Rainbowfarms Dream
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Comment #8 posted by Dankhank on December 04, 2003 at 09:51:14 PT:
Rollie and Tom
I think of them often ...They are Martyrs for CP ...They were good people and if the pigs were like Rollie and Tom the boys would still be with us.But pigs are pigs and they snuffled over and killed those good boys ...If God exists Rollie and Tom are lounging on the REAL Rainbow farm waiting for their friends and family.Peace to them and all who love them.
Hemp N Stuff
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Comment #7 posted by paulpeterson on December 04, 2003 at 07:11:39 PT
Nuevo Mexican
Good point: I had almost forgotten about the 911 fiasco (you know, the more often the press parrots the official view the more we start to BELIEVE IT).I know that Bush at least "hunched" at such an attack, but I would like to believe that he didn't know so many people would die, and he certainly couldn't have anticipated the loss of those two big buildings. That very morning, in fact, I had multiple premonitions of the attack and even panicked about the fact that the day spelled "911". Then the TV screen showed the first tower smoking. I realized right away that we were looking at the TV to SPECIFICALLY SEE the second tower get hit. I even woke my two kids up to make sure they wouldn't miss it. Then I went to brush my teeth (since I had a lawyer place to go that morning). My kid then reported "dad, you missed it".It's just too bad that right when medical research has so clearly confirmed the safety of cannabis & it's properties, that we have a NAZI in the Whitehouse, that is taking away ALL FREEDOMS in the guise of this TERRORISM WAR. I only hope that the courts wake up before it is too late. Let's hope these Rainbow Farm people did not die in vain either. PAUL PETERSON
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Comment #6 posted by paulpeterson on December 04, 2003 at 07:01:53 PT
jose melendez
Sorry, there was no press the last time I tried to raise them. I only tried to talk with the DEA/NIDA, they were verbally cooperative, but would only help then if my STATE people would cooperate under Illinois' medical marijuana law. Since the old Republican (pharmacist) governor was so steeped in his ways, he got the state department people to tell me to "get outa town".Now I am merely going through the paces of an appeal to the Illinois Supreme Court to retake my law license (not likely, since I still have these "beliefs" and such ie: as long as I still believe pot has "medicinal properties" and "helped me in some way", I have not been sufficiently "reprogrammed" to be a lawyer drone bee again!).But at least I still have my life. Thanks for noticing, though. Paul 
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Comment #5 posted by jose melendez on December 03, 2003 at 11:03:51 PT
paulpeterson
Can you refile your dea paperwork?I imagine the press would jump all over the reasons why you were declined last time, considering the prohibitionist objection to any smoked product that does not take millions of lives.
bust fraud here
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Comment #4 posted by Nuevo Mexican on December 03, 2003 at 10:30:14 PT
This is great news, 911 followed this tragedy....
and the raid and targeting of Tom and Rollie was suspicious as the FBI seemed to know it would 'get away' with this one, as 911 would soon follow and bury this story of two Cannabists being murdered outright. I believe over one hundred FBI agents where there. What did THEY know?Sorry Paul,our terrorist pResident was directly or indirectly involved in the 911 attack, whether he knew months in advance,(why does he smirk, he smirks at you, but of all people, you Paul, can't have bought the 'terrorists' did it' line, I have too much respect for your ability to ferret out the truth from out duplicious government, surely you jest!) or only minutes before it happened, (as a security guard has stated bush was in his Limo when he called Andrew Card over and said, 'watch this'). Rest assured, BUSH KNEW!SEE: www.whatreallyhappened.comThen he told everyone he had seen the first plane crash into the WTC tower, when NOONE even had film of it, unless perhaps, he had a private video feed of the whole affair, frightening, isn't it).Anyway, let's not spread the myth of 911 for bushes benefit, as there is NO proof of 19 hijackers, etc.
just go to unansweredquestions.org or better yet, check out the widow of a 911 victims lawsuit against George Bush:THE MOST IGNORED PRESS CONFERENCE OF A HUGE STORY:http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0311/S00262.htmOpen Letter To The President Of The United States
Mr. Bush, This ''open letter'' is coming from my heart. I want you to know that I am neither a Republican nor a Democrat and that this is not an attempt to ''bash the Government''.You Mr. Bush should be held responsible and liable for any and all acts that were committed to aid in any "cover up" of the tragic events of September 11, 2001. As President you have a duty to protect the American people. On September 11th you did not instruct your staff to issue a nationwide emergency warning/alert to advise us of the attack on America. We had to receive the news of the attacks via the news networks.In the months leading up to the attacks you were repeatedly advised of a possible attack on American soil. During your daily intelligence briefings you were given information that had been uncovered that the very real possibility existed that certain undesirable elements would use commercial aircraft to destroy certain "target" buildings. You never warned the American people of this possible threat. Who were you protecting?When you took no responsibility towards protecting the general public from the possibility of attack, you were certainly not upholding the oath you spoke when you took office. In that oath you pledged to uphold the Constitution of the United States of America.On the morning of the attack, you and members of your staff were fully aware of the unfolding events yet you chose to continue on to the Emma E. Booker Elementary School to proceed with a scheduled event and "photo op". While our nation was under attack you did not appear to blink an eye or shed a tear. You continued on as if everything was "business as usual".http://www.scoop.co.nz/mason/stories/WO0311/S00262.htmHOW BUSH WILL STEAL THE ELECTION, UNLESS WE ACT NOW:This is Paul Krugman's column from today's New York Times (Dec. 2nd). It is interesting that he specifically calls out the mainstream press for reporting Diebold/Vote Fraud stories as Business news rather than political scandal. This could be huge. http://www.indymedia.org/front.php3?article_id=368238&group=webcast10 ways to stop bush, copy, paste, forward, and send:http://www.stopbushin2004.com/10_actions.htmDid bush really go to Iraq? I can assume it was staged, as why would they release this story when it was known to be a lie:As White House Changes Story, British Airways Refutes Bush Story of Pilot SightingIn his trip to Baghdad, President Bush said he would have immediately turned around had his cover been blown. In trying to play up the secrecy and dangerous nature of the trip, Bush's aides said that a British Airways pilot spotted the president's plane, radioing, "Did I just see Air Force One?" The White House said Air Force One responded: "Gulfstream 5" - a code word to disguise the plane - and the British Airways pilot "seemed to sense he was in on a secret and replied 'Oh.'"1 But now it appears the story was a complete fabrication, designed only to hype the story. According to Reuters, "British Airways said yesterday that none of its pilots made contact with President Bush's plane during its secret flight to Baghdad on Thanksgiving, contradicting White House reports of a midair exchange that nearly prompted Bush to call off his trip."2 Making things worse, the White House revised its story after revelations of the distortion. The White House now says "it had left the wrong impression" and that actually the conversation took place between Air Force One and the airport tower in London.3 But again, British Airways refuted this tale, with a spokesman for the company telling media "that none of its pilots has come forward to acknowledge either making or overhearing the purported conversation."http://www.misleader.org/daily_mislead/Read.asp?fn=df12032003.htmlGreat photo of bush driving over a Guantanamo prisoner:http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/031203/photos_ts_afp/031203070243_h0p0qlxh_photo0
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Comment #3 posted by Virgil on December 03, 2003 at 10:03:57 PT
Weapons of entertainment
There is a substance that can be sprayed that makes the ground about as slick as teflon. They could have an armored vehicle with that. Then they could have an armored vehicle with a water cannon. Then they could have an armored vehicle with a goo to glue a person in place. Then they can shoot them. All the police knew how it would end. It was not just murder. It was premeditated murder.
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Comment #2 posted by Virgil on December 03, 2003 at 09:35:39 PT
There were 50 FBI agents at Rainbow Farm
Rohm signed his own death warrant when he pointed a gun at an armored vehicle full of police officersIt was murder. If Israel has robots to catch "suiciders", then the FBI has them. They also have more gases than the periodic table and dogs and tasers and stun guns and this and that from what is surely not the lowest bidder. It was murder, although having failed to take Rohm over the previous days, I guess the people in the armored carrier should protect the paint job from Rohm's .22 rifle.
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Comment #1 posted by paulpeterson on December 03, 2003 at 09:16:44 PT
The tide has turned
I am so glad to see this family seeking justice through the courts. I am also glad to see the murders from the drug war being compensated throughout the nation, of late, finally. I believe there were some 40 or more FBI agents camping out at Rainbow Farm, right when we really needed them guarding big airplanes at real airports against real terrorists and all.The tide has turned and we (I) wish this family well. Paul Peterson
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