Mr. Finicum – who previously had said he would rather die than be arrested – had, moments earlier, attempted to barrel through a police barricade, almost hitting an Federal Bureau of Investigation agent.
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But the holdouts at the refuge in the video, which they streamed live on YouTube, said they did not want to leave the site, which is 30 miles (48 kilometers) from the small ranching community of Burns in the state’s rural southeast, and they expressed mistrust of the USA government.
The occupiers said Finicum had his hands in the air when he was shot. “A True American hero”.
OR delegates continue to react to the occupation at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge in Harney County. Through his lawyer, Bundy on Saturday again called on the remaining occupiers to leave.
The protests in Burns are being organized by an umbrella group for self-proclaimed patriots, called the Pacific Patriots Network, which put out a “call to action” for people to converge on Burns for peaceful demonstrations.
“We’re here fighting for freedom, we’re here fighting for the Constitution”, he said.
A day earlier, Bundy said, “To those remaining at the refuge, I love you”.
The last four people occupying an OR refuge in a almost month-long standoff are asking for pardons for everyone involved in the armed occupation.
Protests are planned in the city closest to the Malheur Wildlife Refuge where four armed protesters remain.
The cars and trucks, many of them the oversized, rugged models favored in this rough desert terrain, roared around town bearing USA flags, Confederate flags and passengers brimming with rage.
“I was Mr. Bundy’s militia liaison”, Payne said in an interview published at the time.
While the standoff that originated over federal land-use policies has led to filled-up hotels and restaurants as police, protesters and media have flocked to the area, locals say the conflict is upsetting and pitting neighbor against neighbor.
Ammon and his followers made ample use of social media and videos to summon armed recruits to join their takeover of a wildlife refuge and to declare their readiness to stand their ground. He and an occupier riding with him – Brian Cavalier – were arrested.
Bundy and several of the other occupiers have another federal court hearing scheduled for Friday afternoon.
Beckerman ruled Shawna Cox, the only woman arrested in connection with the protest, would be allowed to go free pending trial, but only after the occupation ends.
“By its very nature, this offense demonstrates a remarkable inability on the part of all charged defendants to follow the law and thus comply with the terms of court-ordered supervision”, the government’s memorandum in support of pretrial detention said.
The charges against the defendants say the refuge’s 16 employees have been prevented from reporting to work because of threats of violence. “We’re here trying to put people like Hillary (Clinton) behind bars”.
Investigation into Tuesday’s fatal shooting of LaVoy Finicum by an OR state trooper is ongoing, so it’s premature to make a definitive judgment about whether authorities acted appropriately.
Bundy and other members of his band of occupiers were arrested on Tuesday in a confrontation with law enforcement that left one of the group dead.
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Bretzing said at least twice that Finicum reached “his right hand toward a pocket on the left inside portion of his jacket”. He is shot and falls to the snow. The FBI said a loaded handgun was found in the pocket.In a statement, Finicums family said based on the information now available to us, we do not believe LaVoys shooting death was justified..
