Harney County Sheriff David Ward
The FBI and local law-enforcement personnel in Burns, Oregon, say Ammon Bundy’s militiamen are ultimately to blame for the shooting death of a fellow protester on Tuesday.
Harney County Sheriff David Ward told reporters on Wednesday that an altercation with police that left LaVoy Finicum, 55, dead and Ryan Bundy shot on Highway 395 would have never happened if they used “appropriate channels” to air their grievances.
Sign up for free news alerts from WND.com, America’s independent news network.
“Multiple agencies put a lot of work into this to put together the best tactical plan that they could to arrest them peacefully,” Ward told reporters. “[Finicum’s death] didn’t have to happen. We all make choices in life. Sometimes our choices go bad.”
Law enforcement personnel unsuccessfully tried to persuade Bundy and his men to leave the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge since Jan. 2. The protesters want the Bureau of Land Management to relinquish control over the land and respect ranchers’ rights.
Cops chose to pull leaders over for a traffic stop after they left the site instead of advancing on the refuge.
“We don’t arm up and rebel. We work through the appropriate channels. This can’t happen anymore,” said Ward. “It can’t happen in America. This can’t happen in Harney County.”
FBI special Greg Bretzing concurred, saying “It is the actions and choices of the armed occupiers of the refuge that have led us to where we are today. Actions are not without consequences,” Fox News reported.
Tuesday’s confrontation resulted in the arrest of seven militiamen, including:
- Ammon Edward Bundy, age 40, of Emmett, Idaho
- Ryan C. Bundy, age 43, of Bunkerville, Nevada
- Brian Cavalier, age 44, of Bunkerville, Nevada
- Shawna Cox, age 59, Kanab, Utah
- Ryan Waylen Payne, age 32, of Anaconda, Montana
Oregon State Police also arrested Joseph Donald O’Shaughnessy, 45, of Cottonwood, Arizona, and Peter Santilli, at a separate traffic stop.
The FBI said it will charge all of the defendants with a federal felony charge of conspiracy to impede officers from discharging their official duties through the use of force, intimidation, or threats.
Rancher Ammon Bundy, has led protesters at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge since Jan. 2 (Photo: CNN screenshot)
Rancher Jason Patrick and at least five other militiamen said Tuesday’s arrests has not shaken their resolve.
“Right now, we’re doing fine,” Patrick told the Washington Post on Wednesday. “We’re just trying to figure out how a dead cowboy equals a peaceful resolution.”
Ammon Bundy issued a statement late Wednesday through his attorney, Mike Arnold, calling for the remaining protesters to go home.
“We need to step back. Somebody died yesterday,” Arnold said, CNN reported. “Mr. Bundy wants everybody to remember that somebody died, and this is not just about him right now.”
from PropagandaGuard https://propagandaguard.wordpress.com/2016/01/28/fbi-blames-oregon-protesters-for-killed-militiaman/
from WordPress https://toddmsiebert.wordpress.com/2016/01/27/fbi-blames-oregon-protesters-for-killed-militiaman/
No comments:
Post a Comment