Bundy and his supporters were arrested for conspiracy to impede federal officials by force, intimidation or threat.
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Though the leaders of the militia in OR and several others were arrested Tuesday night in a police sting, several rebels have remained at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge, committed to continuing the directionless fight that they have for almost a month.
On Wednesday afternoon, the FBI Oregon arrested three occupiers who had peacefully left the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
“The FBI and our partners continue to work around the clock to empty the refuge of the armed occupiers in the safest way possible”.
The almost monthlong armed occupation of the refuge – a protest of federal land policies – began to crumble this week when leader Ammon Bundy and seven other occupiers were arrested.
NewsChannel 21 on Wednesday had its first look at the federal government’s case against the first eight arrested refuge occupiers – and you can, too, as we’ve uploaded the 31-page document online.
“Me and my siblings have this mass text we keep shooting around to each other to try and figure out what’s going on”, said Challice Finicum, 24. “Please stand down. Go home and hug your families”, he said.
Given that the militia’s demands-including the Hammonds’ release and federal authorities surrendering the refuge-were always unrealistic, it’s hard to imagine how else they expected the standoff to end. Jon Ritzheimer, who previously made headlines for leading an anti-Islam protest in Arizona, turned himself in to police in Peoria, Arizona, FBI spokesman Kurt Remus said.
Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward speaks at press conference at the Harney County Community Center in Burns, Ore., Thursday, Jan. 27, 2016. The brief chase that ensued ended when Finicum’s truck met a second roadblock and became stuck in a snowbank. Even so, friction with Harney County and Governor Kate Brown has been growing, and indications suggest that more action is starting to be launched against the occupiers.
As people across the nation received news alerts about a deadly shooting near the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Finicum’s children were frantic to gather more details about the traffic stop that involved gun fire. Three of them were arrested, including one of the new leaders of the group, Jason Patrick. “This fight is ours for now in the courts”.
They were reportedly headed to a meeting with local people.
She said people in the two vehicles complied with instructions to get out with their hands up.
Sean could be heard explaining in the video that he had been there four times for two or three days each during the occupation, while Fry noted that some others who were allowed to leave were there “for weeks”.
Altogether, eight people were arrested, including Bundy and his brother, who was treated and released for the non life-threatening gunshot wound he sustained.
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“We are willing to stay here” unless authorities agree not to charge anyone, the voice on the video said. In Oregon, almost 53 percent of the land is federally owned.
