The Oregon occupier who died last month during a confrontation with FBI agents and state police officers was hailed as a hero during his funeral at a Mormon church.

The ceremony for Robert LaVoy Finicum, 54, attracted hundreds of supporters from across the country to Kanab, Utah, on Friday.

'My dad was murdered defending the liberties so that we may be free of bondage,' his daughter Brittney Beck said.

Finicum's death has become a symbol for those decrying federal oversight on public lands in the West and elsewhere, and has led to protests of what they call an unnecessary use of force. But authorities say the 54-year-old was reaching for a gun during the confrontation.