“In reality these men had alternative motives, to attempt to overthrow the county and federal government in hopes to spark a movement across the United States”, Harney County Sheriff David Ward said in a statement earlier this week.
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So far, respect isn’t translating into Bundy and his group of protesters and armed self-styled militiamen following Ward’s request and ending their occupation at a national wildlife refuge in southeastern Oregon.
Ammon Bundy, one of the sons of Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, speaks to reporters during a news conference Wednesday at Malheu…
The group wants the federal government to hand over the wildlife refuge to local, county and state governments.
Harney County Sheriff David Ward met Thursday with Bundy.
A few hours later Ward said via Twitter that because of Bundy’s stance he was calling off plans to have another meeting with him.
The armed militia group occupying a federal wildlife refuge in remote OR are sticking to their guns even after the county sheriff offered the group safe passage home, no harm no foul.
A member of the group occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters Duane Ehmer rides his horse Hellboy at the occupied Malheur National Wildlife Refuge on the sixth day of the occupation of the federal building in Burns, Oregon on January 7, 2016.
Bundy’s demands are a continuation of long-running arguments that federal policies for management of public lands in the West are harming ranchers and other locals. It belongs to the native people who live here, Burns Paiute Tribal leader Charlotte Rodrique said.Bundy is demanding that the refuge be handed over to locals.Rodrique said she had to laugh at the demand, because she knew Bundy was not talking about giving the land to the tribe.
“Somebody flattened my wife’s tire recently”, Ward said.
Any questions people had about how law enforcement officials planned to end the occupation Ward answered by saying the FBI was leading the investigation.
Sheriff Ward has repeatedly said the occupation has to end and violence be avoided. But the county sheriff has told the group to go home, and many locals don’t want the occupiers around, fearing they may stir up trouble. Roughly 20 people bundled in camouflage, ear muffs and cowboy hats are occupying the bleak high desert of eastern OR, but it’s not clear how much of the preserve’s 300 square miles they are patrolling. The group also opposes prison sentences for two area ranchers convicted of arson.
Harney County resident Tim Smith said the community needs “to use our resources, and the federal government is mismanaging those resources”.
Bundy believes that the USA government acted in violation of the constitution, and wishes for the land to be given to citizens of Harney County.
“I have empathy for the sheriff, he is not in an easy position”, Bundy said. A judge later ruled that the terms fell short of minmum sentences requiring them to serve about four more years.
He wouldn’t call his group a militia, but others are.
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The Hammonds, who turned themselves in to authorities on Monday, have said they started a fire in 2001 to reduce the growth of invasive plants and to protect their property from wildfires, CNN affiliate KTVZ-TV reported.
