Tag Archives: Oregon Standoff

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Oregon Standoff: Cliven Bundy Arrested, Occupiers Say They Will Leave Refuge

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After the four remaining protesters at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge headquarters in Burns, Oregon, spent Wednesday evening on live stream while the FBI surrounded the compound, they have reportedly agreed to leave peacefully Thursday morning.

The father of two of the group’s leaders, who were taken into FBI custody on Jan. 26, was also arrested by the FBI after he flew into the Portland International Airport Wednesday night.

The Oregonian reported that Cliven Bundy, 74, was “booked into the downtown Multnomah County jail at 10:54 p.m.” on the charge of conspiring to interfere with a federal officer, which is the same charge his sons Ammon and Ryan are facing.

Cliven Bundy’s charges, which also include weapons charges, stem from a 2014 standoff with the Bureau of Land Management on his own ranch in Nevada over grazing rights, which ended after federal agents were countered by about 1,000 armed protesters.

Prior to Bundy’s arrival in Portland, the “Bundy Ranch” Facebook page posted a status Wednesday announcing that he was on his way to the Harney County Resource Center in Burns, and calling for Americans to “wake up.”

[quote_box_center]WAKE UP AMERICA! WAKE UP WE THE PEOPLE! WAKE UP PATRIOTS! WAKE UP MILITA! IT’S TIME!!!!! CLIVEN BUNDY IS HEADING TO THE HARNEY COUNTY RESOURCE CENTER IN BURNS OREGON.[/quote_box_center]

Four hours after the first status was posted, that page posted an update claiming that Bundy “just landed in Portland,” and was immediately “surrounded by SWAT and DETAINED.”

The page then noted that its users were “just in contact with the final four on the ground and all is quiet.”

The four remaining occupiers at the refuge, Sean Anderson, 47, and Sandy Anderson, 48, of Riggins, Idaho, David Fry, 27, of Blanchester, Ohio, and Jeff Banta, 46, of Elko, Nevada, all face charges of “conspiracy to impede federal officials.”

The remaining four said they would turn themselves in Thursday morning, after FBI agents surrounded the compound Wednesday night. The tense standoff was broadcast over live stream.

As of 8:40 p.m. PST, the FBI stated that they would not make any moves, and would wait for Rev. Franklin Graham and Nevada State Assemblywoman Michelle Fiore to negotiate the protestors’ surrender at 8 a.m. PST.

 

Live stream of standoff:

 

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LIVE UPDATE: FBI Conducting Siege of Oregon Wildlife Refuge

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The FBI has stated as of 8:40 PM PST that they will not make any aggressive moves toward the four remaining protesters tonight and they will allow Rev. Franklin Graham and Nevada State Assemblywoman Michelle Fiore to negotiate the surrender tomorrow at 8:00 AM.

Update 2/11 9:28 am est: Oregon Standoff: Cliven Bundy Arrested, Occupiers Say They Will Leave Refuge

Update 2/11 2:24 pm est: All occupiers have surrendered.

This is a live stream from inside the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Burns, Oregon. According to those on the phone, 28,000 people are listening. The FBI is reportedly refusing to talk to Nevada Assemblywoman Michele Fiore who is attempting to resolve this without bloodshed.  Fiore claims she just landed at the Portland airport and is on her way to Burns Oregon to act as a negotiator for those inside the facility.

FBI has surrounded the facility and is reportedly less than 50 yards from the door.  They were at one point speaking over loudspeakers.

Rev. Franklin Graham, who was supposed to arrive tomorrow to negotiate surrender has reportedly called in to the line.  Rev. Graham says that he has been told that he will be allowed to walk those armed protesters out Thursday morning at 7:00 A.M.

Voices on the phone say that the FBI agents on the ground are saying that no one will be allowed on the refuge until after the surrender.

 

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FBI Releases Video of LaVoy Finicum’s Fatal Shooting

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BURNS, OR— The Oregon standoff became deadly this week with the death of Robert “LaVoy” Finicum, and some supporters are calling his death a “blood sacrifice.”

While Ammon Bundy and his supporters were traveling to a meeting in the community of John Day, they encountered an FBI-led operation to apprehend them and end the Oregon refuge standoff.

In the video released by the FBI, it appears Finicum walked away from his vehicle with his hands up. Moments later, he was shot.

According to the FBI, Finicum reached twice for a pocket that police say contained a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun before they shot him. (Read full FBI statement here.)

“Actions have consequences. As the video clearly shows, it was a reckless action that resulted in consequences you have seen here today,” said Greg Bretzing, special agent in charge of the FBI in Portland.

An eyewitness, Victoria Sharp, tells a different story that contradicts the FBI’s statement.

According to Sharp, Finicum was shot with his hands up, and he only reached for his side reacting to being shot.

“He’s like, ‘just shoot me then, just shoot me’— and they did, they shot him dead. They shot him right there, he was just walking— I saw it. I swear to God, he was just walking with his hands in the air,” said Sharp.

Listen to Sharp’s account here.

The FBI has not released any audio of the confrontation and has not commented on Sharp’s statements.

According to OregonLive, “five people involved in the traffic stop were arrested while two were questioned and released. Those arrested were: Ammon Bundy, 40, of Emmett, Idaho; his brother, Ryan Bundy, 43, of Bunkerville, Nevada; Ryan W. Payne, 32, of Anaconda, Montana; Brian Cavalier, 44, of Bunkerville, Nevada; and Shawna J. Cox, 59, of Kanab, Utah.”

Joshua Cook recently interviewed Sheriff Richard Mack, who said he asked Ammon Bundy to peacefully withdraw from Oregon. Sheriff Mack told Cook during that interview, “you never know what this corrupt government is going to do.”

The FBI’s statement makes it clear that the standoff is not over.

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Ammon Bundy Calls for Fellow Protestors to ‘Stand Down, Go Home’

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After he was taken into FBI custody Tuesday, Ammon Bundy released a statement Wednesday calling for fellow protestors occupying the Malheur Wildlife Refuge headquarters in Burns, Oregon, to “stand down” and to “go home.”

Bundy, who has acted as the leader of the group since it began occupying the refuge headquarters, was arrested on charges of “conspiracy to impede federal officials” along with four other protestors when they were stopped by the FBI and Oregon State Police while traveling on the highway.

[One Dead, Five in Custody After Shots Fired During Confrontation Between Oregon Protestors and FBI]

LeVoy Finnicum, a spokesperson for the group, was shot and killed during the stop. Ammon Bundy’s brother Ryan Bundy was also wounded. The FBI has yet to say why shots were fired.

In a statement released by his attorney, Mike Arnold, Bundy began by addressing Finnicum’s death, and saying that “his love for this country ran deep through the blood he gave.”

[pull_quote_center]First I want to address my beloved friend, LeVoy Finnicum. LeVoy is one of the greatest men and greatest patriots I’ve ever seen. His love for this country ran deep through the blood he gave yesterday. And I mourn for him and I mourn for his family. I’m praying fervently for you in every prayer.[/pull_quote_center]

Bundy went on to say that he is asking the federal government to “allow the people at the refuge to go home without being prosecuted,” and he urged the protestors to “stand down” and to “go home.”

He claimed the protestors who were taken into FBI custody would use the opportunity of “being in the system” to answer constitutional questions regarding the “rights of statehood and the limits on federal property ownership.”

[pull_quote_center]We’ll have more to say later, but right now I’m asking the federal government to allow the people at the refuge to go home without being prosecuted. To those remaining at the refuge, I love you. Let us take this fight from here. Please stand down. Please stand down. Go home and hug your families. This fight is ours for now in the courts. Please go home. Being in the system we’re going to take this opportunity to answer the questions on article 1 section 8 clause 17 of the United States Constitution regarding the rights of statehood and the limits on federal property ownership. Thank you and God bless America. .[/pull_quote_center]

The group of protestors initially began occupying the Malheur Wildlife Refuge headquarters on Jan. 2, in support of two ranchers who were forced to serve mandatory minimum sentences after they were convicted of arson on federal lands.

During a press conference Wednesday, FBI agent Greg Bretzing said it is “the actions and choices of the armed occupiers that have led us to where we are today.”

“The armed occupiers have been given ample opportunities to leave,” Bretzing said. “Instead these individuals have chosen to threaten and intimidate the America they profess to love, and through their criminal actions to bring these consequences upon themselves.”

[RELATED: Bundy Family Claims Protestor war Unarmed, had Hands Up When Killed by FBI]

Prior to releasing the statement asking protestors to leave the refuge, Ammon Bundy reportedly told his wife Lisa that Finnicum was “cold-blood murdered,” and that he “had his hands in the air and said he was unarmed and they shot him.” 

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One Dead, Five in Custody After Shots Fired During Confrontation Between Oregon Protestors and FBI

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One man is dead and five in police custody after the group occupying the Malheur Wildlife Refuge headquarters in Burns, Oregon, reportedly exchanged gunfire with the FBI and the Oregon State Police during a highway traffic stop Tuesday.

Oregon Live reported that Ryan Bundy, 43, suffered a gunshot wound, and was taken into custody along with Ammon Bundy, 40, Ryan W. Payne, 32, Brian Cavalier, 44, and Shawna J. Cox, 59 on felony charges of “conspiracy to impede federal officers.”

KATU News reported that “there was some sort of engagement involving shots fired” on Highway 395 around 5 p.m. between Burns and John Day, where the group was traveling for a community meeting.

The group of protesters initially occupied the Malheur Wildlife Refuge headquarters in early January, in support of two ranchers who were forced to serve mandatory minimum sentences after they were convicted of arson on federal lands.

Prior to the occupation, Ammon Bundy, the son of rancher Cliven Bundy of Nevada, asked supporters to come out to the refuge and encouraged “patriots” to “stand up not stand down.”

Oregon Gov. Kate Brown wrote two letters to the federal government Wednesday asking for help removing the group, whom she referred to as “armed criminals.”

[UPDATE: Bundy Family Claims Protestor was Unarmed, had Hands Up When Killed by FBI]

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Oregon Gov. Asks Feds To Boot Militiamen From Wildlife Refuge

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By Chris White – Oregon Gov. Kate Brown wrote two letters to the federal government Wednesday asking for help removing the group of militiamen she calls “armed criminals” from a remote Oregon wildlife refuge.

The letters were obtained by Oregon Public Broadcasting and published to Twitter. In a letter sent to the White House, Brown claims “the harm that is being done to the citizens of Harney County by the occupation, and the necessity that this unlawful occupation end peacefully and without further delay from federal law enforcement.”

The governor’s letter to Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey and U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch claims the militiamen are intimidating the residents of Harney County. She even suggests the group appears to be itching for a fight.

“The harm being done to the innocent men, women and children in Harney County is real and manifest,” the letter reads. “With each passing day, tensions increase exponentially.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Brown argued at a news conference that the militia’s occupation of the Malheur National Wildfire Refuge is costing the state $100,000 a week, noting the “lawless” group is running amok.

“This situation is absolutely intolerable and it must be resolved immediately,” Brown told reporters at the conference, adding the White House and the FBI need to do something about the occupation. “The very fabric of this community is being ripped apart.”

“This spectacle of lawlessness must end,” Brown said.

Read the letters below.

Obama Letter

Lynch/Comey Letter

Follow Chris on Facebook and Twitter.

 

 

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Exclusive Interview: Sheriff Mack on the Oregon Standoff and What the Media Isn’t Reporting

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBgPgjYqe0g

 

Truth In Media’s Joshua Cook spoke with Sheriff Richard Mack Wednesday about the Hammond family of Oregon, whose conflicts with the federal government led to the widely-reported occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters in Burns, Oregon.

[Read more: Armed Protesters Occupy Oregon Wildlife Refuge Headquarters]

While the standoff— in which Ammon Bundy, son of Cliven Bundy, joined with other individuals to occupy the refuge headquarters to protest the re-sentencing of 73-year-old Dwight Hammond and his son, 46-year-old Steven Hammond— has been covered by news outlets nationwide, Mack provided details about the conflict between the federal government and the Hammonds that the mainstream media has largely avoided discussing, and also condemned the fact that the Hammonds were charged with arson in the first place.

[RELATED: DONEGAN: Ore. Protest Reaction Shows War on Terror Is Tearing America Apart]

While Mack said he does not agree with Ammon Bundy’s actions, he told Cook that the media is wrong to “brand and label Ammon Bundy as a nut extremist.” Mack said that he worries the current standoff may escalate into another Waco or Ruby Ridge because of the federal government’s desire to save face, adding that government orders were given to kill protesters during the standoff between the Bureau of Land Management and Cliven Bundy in Bunkerville, Nevada in 2014.

Listen to Cook’s interview with Sheriff Mack to learn more about what is really happening in Oregon.

 

Annabelle Bamforth contributed to this report.