The FBI Ambushes a Group of Oregon Protesters, Killing One and Wounding Another
Ammon Bundy Taken Into FBI Custody; LaVoy Finicum Shot Dead by FBI; Ryan Payne Suffers Multiple Gunshot Wounds
January 26, 2016Oathkeepers - This evening, the FBI made a felony stop on a vehicle carrying Ammon Bundy and several other individuals. After gun fire from the FBI, four individuals were reportedly taken into custody, including Ammon Bundy. Two individuals are reported to have been taken to the Burns hospital, which is currently on lock down.
FBI sources stated that those at the Refuge are currently free to leave unimpeded, implying that there might be action if they do not leave immediately.
UPDATES:
1811L: Blaine Cooper has reportedly assumed leadership at the Refuge and has been told to leave immediately. During a phone call with Pete Santilli, Pete can be overheard saying, “Blaine, please don’t do this.” Blaine is reportedly wanting to make a stand. Women and children are still at the Refuge.
1821L: According to local government officials, Ryan Payne suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was taken to the Burns hospital.
1827L: Awaiting a forthcoming statement from law enforcement regarding the shoot out and arrests.
1844L: KATU News is now reporting that eight occupiers have been taken into custody.
1850L: Pete Santilli and Joe Oshaugnessy have also been arrested.
1857L: Law Enforcement reporting the arrest of the following individuals:
Ammon Bundy, Ryan Bundy, Brian Cavalier, Shawna Cox, Ryan Payne — and JJoe O’Shaghnessy in a separate arrest.
1900L: FBI reporting that one of the occupiers is now deceased.
1924L: LaVoy Finicum (pictured below with his wife, Jeanette, and their 11 children) dead.
"LaVoy Finicum is a Northern Arizona Rancher who loves nothing more in life than God, family, and freedom. As he has watched the ever increasing encroachment of government into the lives of the American people he has felt to make a stand for freedom. He has drawn a line in the sand and that line is the Constitution in its original intent. The Constitution of the United States of America is a charter to protect the freedom of man by putting strict limits on government. We are living in a day when that supreme law of the land has been shredded by the very government that took an oath to uphold it. By their actions the Federal Government has become lawless and stalks the liberties of this land under the guise of social justice." [Source]
CLIVEN BUNDY: The arrest of my son should be a 'wake-up call to America'
January 27, 2016Business Insider - Cliven Bundy — the father of now-arrested Ammon and Ryan Bundy, who were part of the Oregon "militia" that took over a federal wildlife refuge for 25 days — said his son's arrest and the killing of another group member "will be a wake-up call to America."
Ammon, the leader of the self-styled militia occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon, was arrested after the FBI conducted a traffic stop. His brother Ryan and five others were in the vehicle at the time of the stop."This is a total disaster to be happening in America," he told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "We have, I'm guessing, federal people killing innocent people. I'll tell you one thing, my sons and those who were there were there to do good, no harm was intended, they would never threaten anybody, they was trying to teach people about the Constitution and trying to help the Hammond family, trying to make sure this type of abuse didn't happen in America and yet, it did."
Shots were fired during the arrest. One man, Robert "LaVoy" Finicum, was killed, according to a militia spokesman. Officials have not yet publicly confirm Finicum's death.
Ryan suffered a minor gunshot wound during the traffic stop as well, according to The Oregonian. The brothers and four other associates were arrested on scene while another man, Peter Santilli,an independent broadcaster who live-streamed the occupation, was also arrested later (see video below).
BREAKING: Booking photos of Ammon Bundy, 7 others after arrest near Burns. https://t.co/AcqRyP4pd5 #KOIN6News pic.twitter.com/un82wepf95 — Brent Weisberg (@BrentKOIN) January 27, 2016The group of occupiers was on their way to a community meeting in John Day, Oregon, per KATU News.
The remaining occupiers at the refuge have no plans to leave, per The Oregonian.
Occupier Jason Patrick at the refuge: We’re all standing here ready to defend our peaceful resolution.The standoff in Oregon began January 2 when an armed group led by Ammon took control of the refuge to protest the sentences of two men who set fire to federal land, Dwight and Steven Hammond.
Cliven made national headlines for a similar standoff with federal officials in Nevada during 2014.
Pete Santilli, self-styled journalist and militants supporter, among those arrested by FBI
Pete Santilli’s live stream documents moments leading up to and after his arrestJanuary 26, 2016
The Oregonian/OregonLive - Pete Santilli, a self-styled journalist, who started live-streaming reports of Ammon Bundy's arrest on YouTube late Tuesday, has been arrested, according to the FBI.
Santilli, 50, of Cincinnati, was arrested about 6:30 p.m. on a charge of conspiracy to impede federal officers, a felony. He was arrested without incident, according to an FBI news release.
Santilli's live stream had indicated that he was arrested. On a Facebook page associated with Santilli, his colleagues wrote that he was arrested at a road block.
On the Facebook page, they later updated their report stating: "Pete Santilli was arrested after pleaing with the FBI to allow him to set up a convoy to save the women and children in the refuge."
After Santilli's initial live stream reports, authorities confirmed one militant was killed and the top leaders of the refuge occupation were in police custody. Law enforcement officials had stopped vehicles Tuesday afternoon about 15 miles north of Burns, and the arrests occurred along U.S. 395, according to the FBI.
Self-styled militia group joins Oregon occupation, could raise tensions
January 8, 2016Reuters - Several members of self-described militia groups have joined armed protesters occupying the headquarters of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon, threatening to raise tensions in the week-long siege over land rights.
One of those organizations, the Pacific Patriots Network, issued a "call to action" for its members to establish a safety perimeter around the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in remote southeastern Oregon as leaders of the protest again said they had no immediate plans to leave.
"We wish to establish a safety perimeter of protection for the occupiers so as to prevent a Waco-style situation from unfolding during this peaceful occupation," leaders of the group said in a statement posted on its website.
"That's
really the point of militias: it's community involvement," Brandon
Rapolla, a member of Pacific Patriot Network, told Reuters in an
interview near a building being used by Ammon Bundy and his brother,
Ryan, to run the occupation.
The Pacific Patriot Network earlier in the standoff said it did not support seizing federal property."If something happens in your community, that's what militias are for."
In 1993
federal agents laid siege to a compound in Waco, Texas, being held by
the Branch Davidians religious group for 51 days before the standoff
ended in a gun battle and fire in April of that year. Four federal
agents and more than 80 members of the group died, including 23
children.
Some two dozen armed protesters have occupied the headquarters of the refuge since last Saturday, marking the latest incident in the so-called Sagebrush Rebellion, a decades-old conflict over federal control of land and resources in the U.S. West.
The move followed a demonstration in support of two local ranchers, Dwight Hammond Jr. and his son Steven, who were returned to prison earlier this week for setting fires that spread to federal land.
A lawyer for Hammond family has said that the occupiers do not speak for the family.
Ammon Bundy met briefly with Harney County Sheriff David Ward on Thursday but rejected the lawman's offer of safe passage out of the state to end the standoff.
During a press conference on Friday morning, Bundy seemed to soften his position slightly, saying:
"We will take that offer but not yet and we will go out of this county and out of this state as free."Both Bundy and the sheriff have said that the two sides would talk again on Friday.
Following Bundy's press conference on Friday morning a lands right activist opposed to the occupation spoke to the media.
"This is about furthering an extremist right-wing agenda," Barrett Kaiser, a Montana resident and a representative of the Center for Western Priorities, said angrily, as supporters of Bundy tried to interrupt him and argue with him. "They need to be charged and prosecuted."
Local residents have expressed a mixture of sympathy for the Hammond family, suspicion of the federal government's motives and frustration with the occupation.
The leaders
of the armed occupation are Ammon Bundy and his brother, Ryan Bundy.
Their father, Cliven Bundy, along with a band of armed men, stared down
federal agents trying to seize his livestock in Nevada in 2014. Many of
the other occupiers also are from outside Oregon.
The
Bundys say they want the federal government to turn over its land holdings in the area to local authorities and that they will leave after
they have accomplished their goal.
Federal
law enforcement agents and local police have so far kept away from the
occupied site, maintaining no visible presence outside the park in a bid
to avoid a violent confrontation.
January 23, 2016Armed group plans event to renounce federal land policy
AP - The leader of an armed group occupying a national wildlife refuge in Oregon plans to have a ceremony Saturday for ranchers to renounce federal ownership of public land and tear up their federal grazing contracts.
On Friday, Ammon Bundy met briefly with a federal agent as authorities attempt to resolve the three-week old standoff over federal land policies, but Bundy left because the agent wouldn't talk with him in front of the media.
The short meeting occurred as Oregon officials are putting increased pressure on federal authorities to take action against Bundy's group.
On Thursday, Bundy went to the airport in Burns, where the FBI has set up a staging area, and spoke to an FBI negotiator over the phone. They agreed to speak again Friday, but Bundy left the airport shortly after he arrived because the FBI agent he spoke with said federal authorities wanted any conversation to be private.
Bundy wants face-to-face conversations in front of reporters.
"I really don't think, at this point, even having another phone conversation here without him would be beneficial," Bundy said before leaving Friday.He also questioned the FBI's authority.
"If you haven't got sanction from the sheriff, there's no reason to be talking to you," Bundy said.A crowd of reporters watched the brief exchange, while state troopers and armed federal agents looked on
Bundy's group began occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon on Jan. 2. The group plans to open the 300-square-mile refuge for cattle this spring.
The FBI did not immediately comment on Friday's meeting with Bundy, but the agency said in a statement Thursday that its response "has been deliberate and measured as we seek a peaceful resolution."
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said Wednesday that she was angry because federal authorities have not taken action against Bundy's group. The Democratic governor claims the occupation has cost Oregon taxpayers nearly half a million dollars.
Brown sent a letter Thursday to U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch and FBI Director James Comey, urging them "to end the unlawful occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge as safely and as quickly as possible."
Bundy, speaking to The Associated Press late Friday while sitting at a desk inside one of the refuge buildings, dismissed the governor's request.
"It just again shows the ignorance of some of our elected officials," he said. "It's just amazing that she would just disregard the Constitution to the point where she would think it would be OK to give the federal government that authority to come in and take some dynamic action or something like that."Bundy said the governor's comments might have been about politics.
"If they wanted to come get us they would have come got us already," Bundy said.The group has recently bolstered a front entrance blockade with timbers and set up another checkpoint at a back entrance. The AP was not allowed to enter the area Friday without an armed escort.
In a statement, U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley said it was "long past time for this illegal occupation to end and for the people of Harney County to get their lives back."
The Oregon Democrat said he hopes authorities could peacefully resolve the situation and hold Bundy's group accountable.
At community meetings, some local residents have asked Bundy and his group to leave.
Harney County Judge Steve Grasty said in a statement Friday that many locals "are incredulous about the federal government's fear of taking action against the lawlessness that we are witnessing on a daily basis."
Bundy has said he believes his group's work is appreciated by locals. He said the armed men have been "helping ranchers," doing maintenance on the refuge because "it's in a bad shape," and taking care of fire hazards in the refuge's firehouse.
Bundy has also asked the FBI to let two ranchers sent to prison for arson go back home.
The Center for Biological Diversity environmentalist group says it plans to hold a rally Saturday afternoon in the refuge to call for Bundy and his supporters to leave.
Related:
- The leader of the Oregon 'militia' has been arrested, along with several others
- 50-mile stretch of road shut near Oregon standoff at US site
- Five holdouts want charge dropped for one to end occupation
- Oregon standoff Day 27: What you need to know Thursday
- Jason Patrick, 2 others linked to Oregon refuge occupation taken into custody
- Ammon Bundy and other Oregon standoff leaders considered flight risk, denied release
- Kate Brown on Oregon standoff: 'Everyone was hoping to avoid bloodshed'
- Oregon Noncombatants Labeled "Terrorists" for Political Purposes
allen said:
ReplyDeleteReading through these posts I am amazed at the constitutionally illiterate most Americans are. Article 1, section 8 in the constitution clearly outlines what land the feds can own. The constitution limits the government on a lot of things including land. The feds are breaking the law. Of course there are a lot of Americans that have been duped by the MSM and politicians that the government has unlimited power, so most people are afraid and that's why they go along with the feds. What is more disgusting is that even the governor has no knowledge of the constitution.
tod said:
Federal land belongs to all the people, as one of the owners I think its okay for those people to use that place to protest. I also think its okay for them to pay for any damages and clean up costs when they are done and to be cited for any crimes committed.
Fascist Imperialist said:
Thus far it's a peaceful act of civil disobedience, which has not so much as hindered traffic let alone caused any harm. The feds for once have acted properly, so far.
Mike said at Yahoo:
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't cost anything to allow grazing and it also keeps down the growth and besides its not federal land, which has always been the argument. The treaty between the Indians and the US Government was never ratified by the Senate so its not Indian land either. If Oregon was a territory and not a state then the federal government is responsible for it. Once Oregon became a state, the territory issue falls away and its state land. Now the state through authorization by the state legislature can sell land to the federal government for specific purposes. Article 1, Section 8, Clause 17, but that is the only way it can become federal land. The problem is that never happens, the federal government just takes it by proclamation or whatever stupid thing they come up with. Everything west of the Rocky mountains is under attack by the BLM, East of the Rocky mountains this does not happen. Texas doesn't even put up with this nonsense and BLM has tired. 37 states don't experience what is going on in the 12 states, but there is one more state and that is Alaska...all of these states are rich in minerals, oil, gas, shale, gold and silver and this is the land being eaten up by the BLM at no cost, they just take it. In the last 25 years I've been involved in 3 of these such disputes with the federal government.
Gunslinger 2000 almost started a civil war, but no one ever heard of it because there was no media coverage, fortunately the federal government backed down only because the people stood up to the government, locked and loaded and ready to shoot, that was a frightening experience and most people don't even know it ever happened or how close we came to civil war and it involved 13 states centered around Fort Knox Kentucky.
Another one happened just about 200 miles south of where this dispute is going on now. It was near the Klamath falls area where the flow of water was turned off by the feds and there were some 16 Federal agents controlling a small section that controlled the water. I only know of about 150 sniper rifles trained on these agents, there were probably much more, they turned the water back on or there would have been 16 dead federal agents.
My point is these are two instances that very few know about and I was physically there in both with .308 in hand and I will shoot under very specific circumstances.
This particular area in Oregon has been highly disputed for a long time. The Indians have no claim to it because the treaty was never ratified by the senate. The federal government has no claim on it because this is not a territory but within state borders. Territorial claims end, when a state is established and the land becomes state land. This is not a stand I would personally take, but I do understand why its happening. Also know there are many militia close at hand. They are not on site and they are not toothless hillbillies, but former military and police and probably some deer hunters and basically all over the map citizens involved here.
In other words there are a lot of expert sharp shooters near and around this area and people wonder why government doesn't act? No one is going to ever put up with another Ruby Ridge or Waco ever again. I have physically been involved in some of these and frankly they are frightening to be part of, and in my cases, the safety never was released, thank God...and it really is scary to be in that situation. All I know is at some point it is going to happen and probably sooner then later. I'm 60 now and former military also....the funny thing about the oath of office for most military personal is the oath to defend the constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic has no expatriation and there is a lot of us out there...10s of millions of us...something to think about!!!
American said at Yahoo:
ReplyDeleteGee, Occupy Wall Street went on FOREVER and If this was Black Lives Matter, she would be joining them. But since they're pro-Freedom and pro-Constitution, she wants another Waco-style Federal massacre.
She's from Commie-ville in Portland and out of her element in Eastern Oregon. It's federal land, so why is she stationing a state police force there? Nobody asked her to spend $100k per week for state troops. She's harboring thousands of illegal immigrants in Portland, but wants to kill American citizens on federal land because she decided to spend state money???
The protesters aren't threatening anybody and the locals there don't seem to be bothered by a few cowboys over at the federal refuge.
Why doesn't this socialist hag quit grandstanding and go back to Portland where she's welcome?
Jim said:
Boy, so much for supporting a local Oregon family. The Hammonds have been beaten by the administrators of the Wildlife Refuge. The managers were really upset when the mismanagement of the Wildlife Refuge Ground, led to the wildlife leaving and moving to the property owned by the Hammonds. I bet you would be miffed if your government officials shut off the water to your house, built a fence around your house and told you that you could no longer use the roads you have been using for decades. Or not...........
undercenter said:
If the land was controlled by the state of Oregon like it should be then she can govern it. The federal government is an inept organization regardless of the party running it. Give the rules/law back to Oregon.
Dave said:
We liberals in Oregon would ban all grazing....recreation only......we run this state you know
compdocjoe said:
The chicken sheet governor wants the feds to do her dirty work, and all you commie liberal trolls call for these patriots blood! How sad and pathetic you cowards are.
tod said:
Nothing says terrorism louder than picking a remote patch of high desert in the middle of nowhere during the dead of winter, 30 miles from the nearest population base in a county that is 10,00 square miles with a human population of 7400, most of which are sports hunters and well armed with hunting rifles that can out shoot anything the folks at the visitors center have.......But the liberals on the West side have to find something about this to wet the bed over so its armed terrorism........San Bernardino, Boston and Oklahoma City were terrorism...anyone see the difference?
http://news.yahoo.com/oregon-governor-blasts-federal-response-refuge-standoff-192209597.html
Italian-Confederate said:
ReplyDelete"(Reuters) - Oregon's governor blasted the federal government's response to the occupation of a wildlife refuge by a group of armed men saying the situation was "absolutely intolerable" and costing the state about $100,000 a week."
So, let me get this staight! Kate Brown is ADMITTING that this land is owned by the Federal gubment... Why she must be, if she is so upset just call in the National guard. Governors are IN CONTROL of National guards... Oh wait she cant, this is land that the Federal gubment owns in a STATE... So, the PEOPLE in that State have Federal Rule over land that is supposed to be theirs....
Why is this all too hard for people to understand?!.... The FEDERAL GUBMETN WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO OWN ANY LAND IN THE NORTH AMERICAN GUBMENT... THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO BORROW LAND FOR FEDERAL ISSUES..... NOT OWN IT...
Josephpeus said:
From the Declaration of Independence. Not only do you have the right to overthrow your government, it is a responsibility placed on us by a founding fathers. If our government betrays us, acts other than in accordance to our wishes, or we feel changes need to be made, it is our obligation to do so.
Josephpeus said:
So the socialist Governor wants to kill the Patriots? She had best be VERY careful in what she does and says. These CITIZENS have had enough of the socialist ideology as with the vast majority of the rest of us and they are not bluffing. She risks triggering a civil uprising. If that what she wants, she will get it.The question is will the National Guard and the US Military take up arms against the citizens and their Constitutional Rights in support of a increasingly tyrannical Federal Government.
Just Floyd said:
Speaking as a taxpayer, veteran, and Mayflower descendent, the taxpayers don't just control that land, we OWN it.
shawn said:
Why should they bother? They aren't harming anyone. Let them sit there on a giant piece of vacant land.
Iam said:
They want these guys shot but cheer when the BLM animals block highways and keep decent people from getting to work...Go figure! These guys are in the middle of the nowhere.....Not in anyone's way.....I have not heard of any property destroyed.
C said:
If your interested in the truth about this rebellion- please watch the videos on youtube- they cover all sides to this unlike lame stream corporate media