This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/energy-environment/fbi-says-it-has-surrounded-last-occupiers-at-oregon-refuge/2016/02/10/f27140be-d067-11e5-90d3-34c2c42653ac_story.html

The article has changed 14 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 10 Version 11
3 Oregon occupiers apparently surrender; 1 refusing to go Last occupiers of Oregon wildlife refuge surrender to FBI
(35 minutes later)
BURNS, Ore. — Three of the four armed occupiers of a national wildlife refuge in Oregon apparently turned themselves in Thursday, a day after authorities moved in to the property nearly six weeks into the takeover and arrested a figure in the fight against federal control of public lands. BURNS, Ore. — Surrounded by FBI agents in armored vehicles, the last four occupiers of a national wildlife refuge surrendered Thursday, and the leader of a 2014 standoff with federal authorities was criminally charged in federal court.
The holdouts were the last remnants of the group that seized the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge on Jan. 2, demanding the government turn over the land to locals and release two ranchers imprisoned for setting fires. The holdouts were the last remnants of the group that seized the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge on Jan. 2 and demanded that the government turn over the land to locals and release two ranchers imprisoned for setting fires.
The surrender is playing out over a phone call on an open line streamed live on the Internet by an acquaintance of occupier David Fry, who delayed leaving the refuge after he said the other three walked out. Meanwhile, Cliven Bundy, who was at the center of a 2014 standoff at his ranch in Nevada, was arrested late Wednesday in Portland after encouraging the Oregon occupiers not to give up. Bundy is the father of Ammon Bundy, the jailed leader of the most recent occupation.
The FBI hasn’t confirmed that the three surrendered, and the area was too far away for reporters at the scene to see. On Thursday, the elder Bundy was charged in the 2014 standoff. Federal authorities may have feared Bundy’s presence would draw sympathizers to defend the holdouts.
Fry, an Ohio resident, said he “declares war against the federal government” and shouted on the call with his acquaintance and a Nevada legislator who drove to the site to help negotiate their exit. A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas charged the 69-year-old Bundy with conspiracy, assault on a federal officer, obstruction, weapons charges and other crimes. He’s accused of leading supporters who pointed military-style weapons at federal agents trying to enforce a court order to round up Bundy cattle from federal rangeland.
“Liberty or death, I take that stance,” he said. The holdouts and 12 others connected with the occupation have been charged with conspiracy to interfere with federal workers. It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer to represent him ahead of a court appearance in federal court in Portland.
He later said he was pointing a gun at his head. Federal authorities say the Bundy family has not made payments toward a $1.1 million grazing fee and penalty bill.
A day earlier, officers went in to barricade the refuge. The situation Wednesday had reached a point where it “became necessary to take action” to ensure the safety of all involved, said Greg Bretzing, special agent in charge of the FBI in Oregon. The holdouts and 12 others connected with the occupation have been charged with conspiracy to interfere with federal workers.
The four previously refused to leave even after group leader Ammon Bundy and others were arrested on a remote road outside the refuge on Jan. 26 in a traffic stop that also led police to shoot and kill an Arizona rancher, who the FBI says was reaching for a gun. Most of the occupiers fled the refuge after that. A live stream of a telephone call indicated that the last four occupiers had surrendered Thursday morning.
Bundy’s father, Cliven, joined his son behind bars Wednesday after arriving in Portland from Las Vegas. The elder Bundy led an armed standoff with federal officials over grazing rights two years ago in Nevada. The occupiers were 27-year-old David Fry of Blanchester, Ohio; Jeff Banta, 46, of Elko, Nevada; and married couple Sean Anderson, 48, and Sandy Anderson, 47, of Riggins, Idaho.
He was not charged in connection with the 2014 standoff near his ranch until Thursday. In the live stream, Fry said the three others had surrendered but he refused to. He later said he was giving up. The FBI did not immediately confirm that the three surrendered.
A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas charged Cliven Bundy, 69, with conspiracy, assault on a federal officer, obstruction, weapons charges and other crimes. The FBI began moving in on the holdouts Wednesday evening, surrounding their encampment with armored vehicles.Over the next several hours, the occupiers’ panic and their negotiation with FBI agents could be heard live on the Internet, broadcast by a sympathizer of the occupiers who established phone contact with them.
It accuses him of leading supporters who pointed military-style weapons at federal agents trying to enforce a court order to round up Bundy cattle from federal rangeland. It wasn’t immediately clear if he had a lawyer to represent him ahead of a court appearance in federal court in Portland. Fry, an Ohio resident, said he was declaring war against the federal government.
Federal authorities say the family has not made payments toward a $1.1 million grazing fee and penalty bill. “Liberty or death, I take that stance,” he declared and later said he was pointing a gun at his head.
Cliven Bundy encouraged supporters to flock to Oregon to support the occupiers. Besides Ohio resident Fry, they are: Jeff Banta, 46, of Elko, Nevada; and married couple Sean Anderson, 48, and Sandy Anderson, 47, of Riggins, Idaho. Fry could be heard yelling at an FBI negotiator: “You’re going to hell. Kill me. Get it over with.”
A Nevada legislator, Michele Fiore, revived her efforts to get Fry to calm down and give himself up. The Republican member of the Nevada Assembly had been in Portland to support the jailed Bundy. The occupiers calmed down after a while, and arrangements were made for them to surrender at an FBI checkpoint on Thursday.
The FBI moved in after one of the occupiers rode an ATV outside “the barricades established by the militia” at the refuge, Bretzing said in a statement. When FBI agents tried to approach the driver, Fry said he returned to the camp at a “high rate of speed.” A Nevada lawmaker has been key in getting that agreement. Michele Fiore is also a friend of the Bundy family. She came to Portland on Wednesday to show support for Ammon Bundy. When she heard the FBI had surrounded the refuge, she called into the online talk show to try to calm down the occupiers.
Fiore rushed to Burns to help negotiate a peaceful surrender of the occupiers.
The Oregon standoff began Jan. 2 when Ammon Bundy and his followers took over the refuge south of Burns to protest prison terms for two local ranchers accused of setting fires on federal lands, and to demand that the refuge be handed over to local residents.
Federal agents, Oregon state troopers and sheriff’s deputies monitored the occupation to avoid a confrontation. There were growing calls for the FBI to act, including from Oregon’s governor.
They did, on Jan. 26. On that day, Ammon Bundy and other occupation leaders were heading for the town of John Day to give a talk on federal overreach. FBI agents and Oregon state troopers stopped the group’s two-vehicle convoy. Robert “LaVoy” Finicum was shot dead in that confrontation. The FBI says he was going for a pistol inside his jacket pocket. Ammon Bundy and four others were arrested.
A total of 12 people were arrested that week. Most of the occupiers fled the refuge after hearing they would be arrested if they left quickly. Four stayed behind, saying they feared they would be arrested if they left.
Greg Bretzing, special agent in charge of the FBI in Oregon, said Wednesday night that the situation had reached a point where it “became necessary to take action” to ensure the safety of all involved.
One of the occupiers rode an ATV outside “the barricades established by the militia” at the refuge, Bretzing said in a statement. When FBI agents tried to approach the driver, Fry said he quickly returned to the camp.
The FBI placed agents at barricades around the occupiers’ camp, Bretzing said.The FBI placed agents at barricades around the occupiers’ camp, Bretzing said.
“It has never been the FBI’s desire to engage these armed occupiers in any way other than through dialogue, and to that end, the FBI has negotiated with patience and restraint in an effort to resolve the situation peacefully,” he said. “It has never been the FBI’s desire to engage these armed occupiers in any way other than through dialogue,” he said. “And to that end, the FBI has negotiated with patience and restraint in an effort to resolve the situation peacefully.”
Federal authorities likely decided to move in over concerns about dealing with a larger group, an expert said.
“The FBI looks at the concept of group dynamics, and they don’t have the upper hand with a big and ungainly crowd,” said Brian Levin, a criminal justice professor at California State University, San Bernardino. “When you’ve got many armed people taking positions, it’s not going to end well.”
______
Martha Bellisle contributed to this report from Seattle. Associated Press Writer Terrence Petty contributed from Portland, Oregon. Associated Press writers Martha Bellisle in Seattle and Terrence Petty in Portland, Oregon, contributed to this report.
Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Copyright 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.