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DATE=6/19/2000 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT TITLE=WACO TRIAL (L-O) NUMBER=2-263553 BYLINE=MICHAEL LELAND DATELINE=CHICAGO INTERNET=YES CONTENT= Voiced At: Intro: A jury in the U-S city of Waco, Texas hears testimony this week in a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the federal government. The wrongful death lawsuit is being brought by families of members of the Branch Davidian religious sect who died six years ago in a standoff with federal agents. The families say the government shares responsibility for the deaths of more than 80 people. VOA's Michael Leland reports. Text: The raid by federal agents and subsequent seven-week-long standoff at the Branch Davidian compound near Waco, Texas, was the deadliest law- enforcement incident in U-S history. It began on February 28th, 1993, when agents from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms tried to serve the Branch Davidians with search and arrest warrants for suspected firearms violations. A gunfight erupted, and six Davidians and four federal agents were killed. U-S government attorney Michael Bradford says federal agents were ambushed by the Davidians, who had been tipped off that the agents were on their way with warrants that Sunday morning. /// Bradford act /// You had a situation where they had amassed a large number of illegal weapons, automatic machineguns, fully automatic AK-47's. They had over a hundred AR- 15's and AK-47's and 50-caliber rifles, hand grenades and other illegal weapons. When the ATF showed up, they were fired upon with those many weapons that were in that compound. /// end act /// But attorney Michael Caddell, who represents the estates of about 50 of the deceased Davidians, says government agents fired first, and fired indiscriminately. /// Caddell act /// It means they shot at the building without having a specific target, without identifying a Davidian with a weapon. As a result, we think at least two of the Davidians were killed on February 28th who did not even have a gun, who were not even shooting. /// end act /// The standoff ended on April 19th, when fire broke out as federal agents were pumping tear gas into the compound. At least 80 people were killed as the building quickly burned to the ground. The Davidians have said for years that federal agents started the fire, something the government denies. The trial will also address whether the government was negligent in withholding firefighting equipment from the scene, and whether using tanks to help end the siege deviated from Attorney General Janet Reno's official plans for the operation. Six jurors and one alternate will hear testimony, but they will only serve as an advisory panel to U-S District Judge Walter Smith. The jury may or may not have influence over the final verdict. Lawyers for the Davidians say most of the families are more interested in holding the government accountable than they are in receiving monetary damages. U-S government lawyers say the trial is a chance to tell the truth about what happened in Waco, Texas, six years ago: law enforcement agents doing their best in good faith under difficult circumstances. (signed) NEB/MJL/KBK 19-Jun-2000 17:50 PM LOC (19-Jun-2000 2150 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .