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Occupiers at Oregon refuge say they’ll turn themselves in 3 Oregon occupiers apparently surrender; 1 refusing to go
(about 3 hours later)
BURNS, Ore. — The last four armed occupiers of a national wildlife refuge in Oregon said they would turn themselves in Thursday after facing authorities who came to the property more than a month into the takeover. 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.
A roadblock leading to Malheur National Wildlife Refuge was quiet except for a large group of media awaiting the holdouts, a departure from the confrontation late Wednesday that played out via a phone line streamed live over the Internet. 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.
At the refuge, the occupiers yelled at officers to back off and prayed with supporters over the open phone line streamed by an acquaintance of holdout David Fry. 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.
Fry, 27, of Blanchester, Ohio, sounded increasingly unraveled as he continually yelled, at times hysterically, at what he said was an FBI negotiator. The FBI hasn’t confirmed that the three surrendered, and the area was too far away for reporters at the scene to see.
“You’re going to hell. Kill me. Get it over with,” he said. “We’re innocent people camping at a public facility, and you’re going to murder us. 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.
“The only way we’re leaving here is dead or without charges,” Fry said, adding that armored vehicles surrounded their camp. “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.
He and three others are the last remnants of an armed group led by Ammon Bundy that seized the refuge on Jan. 2 to demand public lands be turned over to locals. The three others are Jeff Banta, 46, of Elko, Nevada; and married couple Sean Anderson, 48, and Sandy Anderson, 47, of Riggins, Idaho. He later said he was pointing a gun at his head.
A Nevada legislator, Michele Fiore, called the occupiers to try to get them to calm down. 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.
“I need you guys alive,” said the Republican member of the Nevada Assembly who had been in Portland to support the jailed Bundy. 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.
She told occupiers that she was driving to the refuge to try to help negotiate their exit. They prayed with Fiore and others as the confrontation dragged on for hours. 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.
Finally, Sean Anderson said he spoke with the FBI and that the occupiers all would turn themselves in at a nearby FBI checkpoint Thursday morning. He relayed the news to Fiore. He was not charged in connection with the 2014 standoff near his ranch until Thursday.
“We’re not surrendering, we’re turning ourselves in. It’s going against everything we believe in,” he said. 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.
Greg Bretzing, special agent in charge of the FBI in Oregon, said the situation had reached a point where it “became necessary to take action” to ensure the safety of all involved. 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.
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.” Federal authorities say the family has not made payments toward a $1.1 million grazing fee and penalty bill.
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.
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 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.”
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, and to that end, the FBI has negotiated with patience and restraint in an effort to resolve the situation peacefully,” he said.
The development came as Cliven Bundy — who is the father of Ammon Bundy and led a Nevada standoff with federal authorities in 2014 — was arrested in Portland after encouraging supporters to flock to Oregon to support the occupiers. The FBI confirmed he was taken into custody but declined to provide a reason or other details.
Federal authorities likely decided to move in over concerns about dealing with a larger group, an expert said.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.”“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.”
For weeks, authorities had allowed the occupiers to come and go freely from the remote refuge, leading to criticism from local officials and residents that law enforcement wasn’t doing enough to end the standoff.
The four had refused to leave even after Ammon Bundy and others were arrested on a road outside the refuge on Jan. 26. The traffic stop also led police to shoot and kill Arizona rancher Robert “LaVoy” Finicum, who the FBI says was reaching for a gun.
Most of the occupiers fled the refuge after that. Authorities then surrounded the property and later got the holdouts added to an indictment charging 16 people with conspiracy to interfere with federal workers.
The four previously said they would not leave without assurances they would not be arrested.
“We will not fire until fired upon,” Sean Anderson said in the livestream. “We haven’t broken any laws, came here to recognize our constitutional rights.”
The occupiers said they saw snipers on a hill and a drone.
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Martha Bellisle contributed to this report from Seattle. Associated Press Writer Terrence Petty contributed from Portland, Oregon.Martha Bellisle contributed to this report from Seattle. Associated Press Writer Terrence Petty contributed from Portland, Oregon.
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.