One dead extremist
by Tom Sullivan
Notice on refuge website.
The FBI and Oregon State Police have sealed off the area around the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon after the arrest of the leader of the occupation that began there earlier this month. They promised to arrest any unauthorized persons attempting to reach the refuge. Read: reinforcements.
KATU Portland reports:
HARNEY COUNTY, Ore. — One person is dead and eight others, including Oregon occupation leader Ammon Bundy, were detained following a violent confrontation with the FBI and state police Tuesday night.
It all began with a traffic stop while Bundy and some of his followers were en route to a community meeting at a John Day senior center, about 70 miles north of Burns.
Shots were fired after FBI agents, Oregon State troopers and other law enforcement agencies made the stop on US Highway 395.
Ammon Bundy, Ryan Bundy, Brian Cavalier, Shawna Cox and Ryan W. Payne were arrested during the stop. Joseph Donald O'Shaughnessy and online talk-show radio host Peter Santilli were arrested in Burns. Jon Ritzheimer was arrested after surrendering to authorities in his home state of Arizona.
The armed militants had occupied the refuge headquarters outside Burns, Oregon for nearly a month.
Arizonan LaVoy Finicum, 54, was killed, KATU reports. He had previously told reporters he would die before going to prison:
"There are things more important than your life, and freedom is one of them," he said at the time. "I'm prepared to defend freedom."
NBC News reports:
All face federal felony charges of conspiracy to impede federal officers from discharging their official duties through the use of force, intimidation or threats, authorities said.
Protesters led by the Bundy brothers have occupied the land refuge since the beginning of the year. Members of the group had been scheduled to appear at 6 p.m. for a meeting with authorities in the town of John Day in Grant County.
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 hope is that the remaining occupiers will leave on their own.
News of Finicum's death quickly reached the protesters still holed up at the refuge.
"It appears that America was fired upon by our government," the occupiers said on the Bundy Ranch Facebook page. "One of liberty's finest patriots is fallen. He will not go silent into eternity."
The occupiers also claimed Finicum had his hands in the air when he was shot.
Reports from the Oregonian counter that claim: "Finicum and Ryan Bundy disobeyed orders to surrender and resisted arrest."
Another posting to the Bundy Ranch Facebook page reads:
Levoy Finicum was Shot and murdered in Cold blood today in Burns Oregon by the FBI and State Law enforcement. He had his hands up and was shot 3 Times. This Man Is one of the best Patriots, Husband, Father, Grandfather, friend and Neighbor, that this world will ever know. Spread this far and wide!
A Bundy Ranch Facebook commenter responded (I'm paraphrasing), "This aggression will not stand, man."
Tyranny, sheeple, government conspiracy, #LibertyRevolution, patriots, blood of tyrants, etc., etc., etc. Expect a lot more spur rattling, gun displays, and home-school constitutional scholarship before this settles down.