Malheur Wildlife Refuge Incident: It is time to Vacate the Refuge

(It should be made clear that 'Militia Members', the Pacific Patriot Network,  and that the Three Percenters, and Oathkeepers were not involved at any time in the sit in/occupation at the Malheur wildlife Refuge.)

The sit-in and occupation by protesters of government agency abuses and misconduct in several western States at the seasonally closed buildings at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge is winding down to a bitter end.

It has been reported by an eye witness account that Robert LaVoy Finicum, 55, a cattle rancher from Cane Beds, Arizona, who had past disputes with the BLM, while traveling on State Highway 395 from the Malheur Wildlife Refuge to a  meeting with Sheriff Glenn Palmer at John Day, a city in Grant County, Oregon. Although, he was unarmed (later contradicted) with his hands raised in the air during a completely atypical traffic stop, he was shot as many as six times and killed by Agents of the FBI or Officers of the Oregon State Police and the Deschutes County Major Incident Team (See Note Below and Raw Video Footage Below).  His trials-and-tribulations with government agencies motivated him to author "Only by Blood and Suffering" in Two-Thousand-Fifteen. 

Fix America can only offer sympathy and condolences to any and all relatives of Robert LaVoy Finicum, God grant him peace.

Another victim of senseless (in that this and all preceding and following arrest events could have been avoided had the protesters not held a sit in/occupation in the first place) violence at the hands of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Oregon State Police and the Deschutes County Major Incident Team was Ryan Bundy whose shoulder was wounded.

Complete, Unedited Video of Joint FBI and OSP Operation 01/26/2016

Published on Jan 28, 2016

This is the complete video footage of a joint FBI and Oregon State Police traffic stop and OSP officer-involved shooting of Robert "LaVoy" Finicum on the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. This footage, which has only been edited to blur out aircraft information, was taken by the FBI on 01/26/2016 and released by the FBI on 01/28/2016.

It can be seen at approximately 9:28/26:28 that Mr. Finicum, after exiting the truck and walking several steps with his hands up or outstretched (making the fatal mistake) lowers them to reach for something inside his jacket or in a pocket of the jacket. The FBI has stated that Mr. Finicum was carrying a 9mm pistol.  It also has been stated by various people that it appears as though Mr. Finicum only dropped one arm in response to being wounded in the right side torso by the officer facing him and as he turned around wounded two or three more times by the officer who had been approaching Mr. Finicum from his six o'clock position. 

At approximately 4:25 p.m. (PST) Tuesday, January 26, 2016, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Oregon State Police (OSP) began an enforcement action, aided by the Deschutes County Major Crimes Team. Two vehicles were stopped. The lead vehicle, a jeep, driven by Mark McConnell, security consultant, a passenger, Ammon Bundy and Brian Cavalier (AKA: King Booda, Booda Bear, Buddha), Bundy's personal Body Guard. In the Following second vehicle, a truck, traveling as a group to John Day, and driven by LaVoy Finicum were, Ryan Payne, Ryan Bundy, Shawna Cox, and Victoria Sharp, 18. 

The  following second vehicle left the initial site and a mile further down the road arrived at a previously set up road block. The truck came to rest in a roadside snow bank. At this time, the order of events is unclear, whether tear gas was released first or some number of warning shots were fired;  however, some number of both were discharge. It is clear from Miss Sharp's account no one in the truck discharged or handled a firearm at any time. Robert LaVoy Finicum exited the vehicle and words were exchanged with authorities. Unarmed (later proved incorrect) and with hands raised Mr. Finicum may have approached the authorities and was shot a number of times. According to Miss. Sharp, authorities approached the fallen and wounded Finicum and fired three more rounds which killed him.

It should be obvious to anyone watching the Mark McConnell eye witness testimony something is seriously incorrect with his statements regarding Mr. Finicum's actions or words and what happened to him. As can be seen in the raw uncut drone video, Mr. McConnell is at the location of the red Jeep On US 395 and was stopped and later released. The white truck was near that location, but then sped away and went further down the road. The FBI has stated and a videogrammetric analysis program will rapidly show that the white truck comes to a rest in a roadside snowbank at a mile or more further on down the highway. Mr. McConnell would have had to have been watching Mr. Finicum's actions from an unobstructed position providing a clear view through at least a 2000mm f2.0 lens or a very, very good telescope. No such camera Lens or telescope is either mentioned nor could either have a clear unobstructed view through the thousands of trees between the two locations.

Another serious inconsistency in Mr. McConnell's statements is regarding why the white truck was leaving the first location. Reports are being received that the reason the truck, driven by Mr. Finicum, is seen leaving the first location was due to the truck taking fire by police and it was at the first location Mr. Ryan Bundy's shoulder wound was sustained when the police fired blindly into the white truck at the initial stop or first location. it is very odd that Mr. McConnell mentions nothing, since he was there, of these actions at the first location, and that would leave the only reliable testimony at this initial location to Mr. Ammon Bundy.

More reports are being received regarding the actions and events that had taken place at the final or second location of the white truck. Reports are being received that Mr. Finicum after exiting the white truck and taking several steps lowers one arm and lifts the front of his jacket to show he is not carrying a firearm under his jacket on request and direction from police. It is at this instant, having determined Mr. Finicum is unarmed, the police fire a shot wounding Mr. Finicum in the abdomen. Mr. Finicum reaches down to the wound and because of the force of the trauma sustained begins to turn around and a number of wounds are sustained from the second policeman who had been approaching Mr. Finicum's location from behind.

Nameless Facebook member analysis:

"Mr. Finicum swerves to miss roadblock... agent/officer A (coming from the road) jumps out fires at rear window (look at last frame of video, hole in window). He exits vehicle, hands up... Agent B (coming from the road) takes a shot center mass...Mr. Finicum responds dropping his hands grabs abdomen and spins Agent C (coming from behind Mr. Finicum) takes final head shot...NO medical assistance checks on him to render aide as he lies there dying or dead..." This is in agreement with testimony from eye witnesses in the white truck.

Another interesting problem has come to light. It had been the habit of many years of Mr. Finicum to wear a revolver at his right side. This can be demonstrated by photographs and video taken at the Malheur Wildlife Refuge and elsewhere in the past. No side arm was seen being worn at the final and second location. 

More interesting information is being reported from the County Seat of Harney County. County Workers have been sent home and the County Court House has been closed. The City Hall of Burns, Oregon has been closed. Judge Grasty is unavailable and the unelected Sheriff is saying very little to address or explain any of the actions of the FBI and Oregon State Police.

Those arrested include Ammon Bundy, 40, of Emmett, Idaho; Ryan Bundy, 43, of Bunkerville, Nevada; Brian Cavalier, 44, of Bunkerville, Nevada; Shawna Cox, 59, Kanab, Utah; and Ryan Payne, 32, of Anaconda, Montana. Released from custody were Mark McConnell (who has posted two videos to Facebook) and Victoria Sharp (see: Facebook video above). 

In a separate event in Burns, Oregon State Police arrested Joseph O'Shaughnessy, 45, Cottonwood, Arizona. Also in Burns, the FBI arrested Peter Santilli, 50, of Cincinnati, Ohio.  

in Arizona at 8:30 p.m., the FBI's Phoenix Division made a probable cause arrest of Jon Eric Ritzheimer, 32, on a federal charge related to the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon. Ritzheimer turned himself into the Peoria, Arizona, police department.  The arrest was without incident.

The FBI has stated that All of the named defendants face a federal felony charge of conspiracy to impede officers of the United States from discharging their official duties through the use of force, intimidation, or threats, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 372.

The FBI has stated that those people remaining at the sit-in/occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge are free to leave, if they leave now, at 10:45 PM 01/26/2016.

Note:  The Deschutes County Major Crimes Team, charged with assisting in the investigation of a fatal shooting Tuesday of an armed militia member in Harney County, is a coalition of members from the county’s law enforcement agencies who can investigate significant incidents. Activated at the request of an agency or the district attorney, the team changes in size depending on need. Though it’s usually assembled for incidents within the county, it can assist on investigations outside of Deschutes County.

Oregon State Police said in a news release Tuesday evening 01/26/2016 that state troopers were “involved” in the shooting. LaVoy Finicum — a 55-year-old rancher from Cane Beds, Arizona, and one of the militia’s leaders — died in the incident. Deschutes County Sheriff Shane Nelson said the major crimes team was asked by state police to take the lead on the investigation of Tuesday’s shooting. He estimated six detectives from agencies in Deschutes County were in Harney County working on the case.

In gathering information for this post, an well reasoned and researched article, presented for thought by the Esteemed Reader, has been published at: 

 http://ahtrimble.com/2016/01/27/sitrep-burns-oregon-1272016/

"SitRep – Burns, Oregon, Posted on January 27, 2016 by AH

As stated early this morning I am providing a Situation Report (SitRep) on the recent developments in Burns, Oregon. For a basis of this article I am using – personal knowledge, speaking directly with people who have firsthand knowledge, reports and court records, BLM documents, media reporting with varying degrees of validation and verification.

I am not going to reveal any sources of any kind. I am stating for the record that this entire article is my personal opinion and nothing more. I do so because there is limited, maybe no, First Amendment protection in this situation for me and I will not allow myself to be placed in a situation where I am forced to reveal sources. Again, for the record, this is all my opinion and conjecture.

This is a complex and intricate situation that has been in the making for 15 years. It will not be resolved anytime soon and I doubt anyone is ever going to be satisfied with the outcome. A man died last night, no one can ever be satisfied with that…ever. That man, a father of 11 children, a grandfather of 19, a deeply religious Christian man. A man who was devoted and committed to liberty, rights, freedoms, and the document that ensures those…the Constitution. There was only one reason for that man to die…and I will explain that towards the end of this article.

One more note before I get started, I will not go into excessive detail. I will do so when needed, but I will not provide details most of the time because the information I will refer to can be easily validated and verified online through a long list of reliable sources. I will work backwards on a timeline, it will make more sense that way.

Robert “LaVoy” Finicum was killed during an ambush the night of 1/26/2016 by law enforcement officers. Multiple witnesses say that at the time Finicum was shot and killed by law enforcement officers he had his hands in the air, empty, and was not threat to anyone.

There is no clear word on how Ryan Bundy was wounded. It is not clear what he was doing at the time. I will leave that for another day.

There are reports that this was a “routine traffic stop.” That is 100% false! The FBI, in cooperation and coordination with the Oregon State Police (OSP) established roadblocks throughout the area. One primary purpose for the roadblocks was to prevent reinforcements responding to assist those inside the refuge. The other, and main, purpose of the roadblock was to force a confrontation with the refuge leadership. This had been carefully planned by the FBI and OSP for weeks. The FBI and OSP had even trained on how to do a “takedown” of any leadership vehicles. Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward admitted today that law enforcement agencies had been working and planning on “how to take them down.”

Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward is not an elected Sheriff. He was appointed in 2015 by hand-picked committee. The person that hand-picked the committee members was none other than county Judge Steve Grasty. Sherriff Ward is indebted to, a crony of, Judge Grasty because the Judge made the decision to appoint Ward. Ward is not an elected Sheriff of the county in which he serves.

The FBI and other law enforcement have not said anything about video of the violent ambush. If this was a simple routine traffic stop there would be all kinds of dash-cam footage available. I am hearing there is video footage but it will never see the light of day for any reason whatsoever, even if the release is ordered by a judge.

The FBI doesn’t do “routine traffic stops”…ever. Have you ever heard the FBI issuing traffic tickets?

The reason for the timing of the takedown was related to the offer of safety by the Sheriff of Grant County, Oregon. The Sheriff there had offered to take in the refuge leadership and provide them safety from arrest and prosecution at any level. The meeting that night was to work on arrangements to accept that offer and move some folks to Grant County and for others to leave the refuge. The FBI had been informed of that and was determined to prevent that from happening.

In the days immediately prior to the ambush the Governor of Oregon had made it clear to the OSP and FBI to “end this situation.” Oregon Governor Kate Brown is –

A far left-wing Democrat / Progressive,

She is a radical environmentalist,

She has been schooled from day one as a liberal extremist, especially in terms of the environment,

She is a dedicated globalist and activist for that cause. She has even won an award from the Aspen Institute. AI is a radical globalist organization funded by the biggest globalist families in the world.

She is openly bisexual although is married to a man. She absolutely abhors the Mormon/LDS church stances on gay issues and has stated such numerous times.

She is a lawyer, earning her J.D. degree in Environmental Law from Northwestern School of Law of Lewis and Clark College, the #1 environmental law school in the country, maybe the world.

She was appointed Governor of Oregon, she was not elected.

Obama officials sent word to the FBI to “get the Burns situation resolved.” The FBI has been drawing-up contingency plans and broader planning on this operation for weeks. The reports of reduced LEO presence in the Burns area the last couple of weeks was a ruse. The resources were relocated to out of town staging areas and new resources brought into those staging areas to join them. This was part of the plan to get the refuge leadership to drop their guard. While they were doing this, they were planning both the tactical takedown of the refuge leadership, also multiple other persons around the west on related federal charges.

The FBI intentionally passed-up multiple opportunities to peacefully arrest Bundy and others during meetings with those individuals. It was the same federal tactic used in Waco and at Ruby Ridge.

Judge Steve Grasty, Harney County Judge, at the center of this situation, is a lifelong Democrat hardliner and rabid environmentalist. He is a board member of RDI (Rural Development Initiatives), an Agenda 21 partner, and recipient of federal money. Steve Grasty is also the brother of Brent Grasty.

Brent Grasty is a BLM employee in charge of the environmental policy review process team in the Vale, Oregon BLM District Office. Brent Grastly is an environmental extremist and life-long Democratic hardliner. Brent & Steve have talked numerous times regarding local environmental issues, mineral rights issues, and the refuge stand-off. Those conversations create a conflict of interest for both men and violates federal laws and ethics policies of government employees and judges. The Hammonds, the focus of this situation, were originally charged in another fire related matter altogether. Normal BLM policy for fires that trespass onto BLM lands are rarely investigated. When they are investigated and pursued, the offending party is normally only given a $250 citation. There are times, not many, where suppression costs are sought through the legal system as restitution. There is a long list of “trespass fires” that are/were never pursued, few citations written, and seldom was restitution sought. The Hammonds burned less than 150 acres of BLM lands, no substantial resource damage was done, no loss of life, and no injuries. Not only were the Hammonds pursued through the legal system, they were charged as “terrorists” under a 1990’s law (Anti-terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act that Congress passed in 1996). That has never occurred in the history of BLM…ever prior to the Hammonds. And, the charges didn’t even come about for 9 years after one incident and 6 years after another incident. The BLM has absolutely no interest in the Hammonds for the fire related issues. The BLM is punishing the Hammonds for an entirely different reason. I haven’t nailed down exactly what it is to my satisfaction yet, so I won’t speculate to exactly what or why. But, I am telling you plainly…this is a punitive action on the part of BLM and the federal government for a whole other reason.

Also, the Hammonds already served time in prison. However, several years after their release from prison, they were resentenced by a federal judge. Let me explain… federal judges don’t sit around looking over records and searching for people to send back to prison. The US Attorney’s office made motions and petitioned the federal judge to send the Hammonds back to prison. And, let me explain…US Attorneys don’t sit around looking over records and searching for people to send back to prison…unless there is a reason. A government employee, possibly BLM, pushed the US Attorneys’ office to pursue this issue. There is someone in the federal government, possibly the Oregon BLM office, that is trying hard to intimidate and persecute the Hammonds.

That tells me only one thing…Hammonds have something that BLM or the federal government wants, Hammonds don’t want to give in to BLM blackmail and extortion, so BLM is going to use every trick available to them.

There is a ton of official government records indicating that the interest BLM and the county has in the Hammonds has to do with valuable underground minerals. Hammonds just so happen to have rights to most of that land that BLM and the county have been intensely researching. And that research has included overflights, including FEMA airborne resources.

BLM developments – Today there was a national conference call where state and local BLM managers were told – Threat level “yellow” indicating a grave concern for attacks on BLM facilities and employees. Offices recalled armed rangers to BLM offices to guard against attacks. BLM employees are to report any interaction with people who raise concerns over murder in Burns. Those reports will be sent to a centralized LEO office for coordinating efforts. BLM employees are to report any suspicious people or vehicles. Those reports will be sent to a centralized LEO office for coordinating efforts. A BLM “strike force” of highly trained SWAT personnel has been activated and pre-positioned to respond as needed anywhere in the country. These heavily armed SWAT teams are highly trained for vilent encounters with civilians. BLM is expecting an attack and occupation of offices in Kingman, AZ by ranchers and/or militia. Immediately after that conference call BLM employees around the west held emergency “all-employee” meetings.

Prior to the killing (Mr. Finicum) last night, LEOs from multiple federal agencies expressed the desire to be in Burns to take out the militia in the refuge. The comments ranged from vague threats, to putting bullets in their heads. At one point using DElta was discussed in the event that the FBI wasn’t able to handle the situation. Today, in multiple BLM offices, there was a wide range of comments made by LEO and non-LEO employees that “it was about time”, “too bad more of them didn’t get it”, “that’s what they get”, etc.

The FBI has been planning for quite a while to make these moves including escalation of force to include killing refuge occupiers and militia. The FBI has been using debit and credit card transactions to track the “subjects” as well as cell phone usage. The FBI waited until the subjects were on a secluded road before executing the ambush. The FBI and OSP projected there would be no witnesses to their tactical ambush and that was the reason for that particular location. However, reports are that there are indeed witnesses to the ambush.

On April 6, 2015 I wrote that the FBI would get its revenge against the Bundy Family for Bunkerville. They would take their time and then strike the Bundy Family hard. Last night was that strike. It was fully expected that the Ryan Bundy would be shot and killed, as well as any other resistance leadership that they could take out at the same time. The FBI fulfilled that dream last night but they killed the wrong man and didn’t finish the job with Ryan.

The federal government is not done with this yet. There will be more arrests, more federal charges, and probably more “routine traffic stop” incidents gone bad…resulting in more deaths. The federal government is intent on total suppression of the latest version of the Sage Brush Rebellion and especially militia groups.

There is discussion at the highest level on how to use this incident to leverage Executive Order(s) in regards to gun control and confiscation.

OK, I am worn out. The researching and writing of this article has taken a lot of time, effort, and energy. I have provided you more than enough information to see clearly what is going on here. You have –

An environmental extremist state governor who was not elected to that office,

An environmental extremist county judge,

An environmental extremist BLM employee who is the brother of the environmental extremist county judge,

A Sheriff who was not elected to that office, he was appointed by a environmental extremist county judge,

An environmental extremist President,

A far-left activist at the head of the Department of Justice,

All of the above are Progressive radicals,

A revenge seeking FBI,

And a hidden reason why the federal government is after the Hammonds. So you have two Executive Branches of two levels of government involved. You have multiple law enforcement agencies from three levels of government involved. And you have a Judicial branch of government involved at the local level. All of the parties of the government are inter-related, all have a common factor of environmental extremism. There is motive. There is opportunity.


FYI…

A conspiracy theory is an explanatory or speculative hypothesis suggesting that two or more persons or an organization have conspired to cause or to cover up, through secret planning and deliberate action, an event or situation typically regarded as illegal or harmful.

By now you can figure out what is happening in Burns, Oregon. If you are a Mormon (LDS) you are familiar with the terms “Gadianton Robbers” and “King-men.” You can see it here plain as day. If you are not Mormon, you can see where government officials at all levels are corrupt to the bone. And they are using the FBI once again as a “hit squad” to crush anyone who opposes the government agenda.

Here is the truly bad aspect…they are not done. The FBI, along with various state and local law enforcement agencies around the west, are going to keep marching right through the ranks of militias, freedom fighters, Constitutionalists, patriot groups, and anyone else who opposes or exposes the tyranny of our current government. 
And it is going to get ugly, very ugly.

We saw that the Obama administration has gone after patriot groups, Constitutional groups, Tea Party groups and all the while they denied it, even the President. Now, the evidence is all there and crystal clear to see that the Obama administration was in-fact using the IRS to go after their enemies. And the clear evidence in documents shows that both the FBI and Department of Justice was in on this with the IRS and other Obama administration officials.I am telling you point blank that there will be more action taken by the FBI and DOJ. It will be nasty and lethal. More patriots, militia members, etc. will die resisting during “routine traffic stops.” This government is in an all-out purging mode right now…a violent and deadly purge. Obama will have his legacy. He already promised us a “fundamental transformation” of America…he is delivering on that promise.

I doubt, actually I am convinced, that no group that considers themselves patriots, Constutionalists, etc. will lift a finger to do anything. They will fade away and disappear just as they did under President Clinton. There is no spine and no teeth to actually do anything as the groups have said they would. I know that may offend some people, maybe many, but it is the truth. I truly hope I am wrong, I am honest in that statement. But I know I am right, there just isn’t enough will or capacity to do anything else. At least that is the case at this time and in the near future. But don’t let that disappoint or frustrate you.

The time has come that you better figure out who you are and which side of the fence your morals and principles fall. As a prepper you must plan, you absolutely must. “What will I do when…?”

I am not telling you to push the panic button. I am not telling you to do anything stupid or illegal. I am surely not telling you to do anything violent. I am telling you to see things for what they are. See people for whose side they are on. And figure out who you are inside…who you are as a person…who you want to be…who you will be. What does your soul look like?

One day soon you will need to know who that person inside you is.

It is better to figure that out now…and plan accordingly." AH



A Facebook member had this to say regarding the entire combined series of incidences BLM-destruction of homes, cattle, and rangeland;  Hammond-defense of home and range land;  Bundy sit-in/occupation of the Malheur Wildlife Refuge.

"I am deeply saddened and angered with the events in my hometown- Harney County. 

Despite the Bundy occupation on the refuge, what happen to our community? Instead of standing united to support the real issue- an extremely unfair five year sentence conviction of some of our community members, the Hammonds, we are fighting over the Bundy's. Where friends can turn on friends for not agreeing with their side of the issue, businesses are boycotted because they fall on the other side of the line than some of their customers. When as a county, and a nation, did we become so arrogant in our own opinions that we can't allow others to have a different opinion without feeling the need to destroy them verbally or financially? The turn of events with the shoot out yesterday is sickening, WHATEVER happened. A man lost his life, his wife and children will never see him again, and the government could have practiced restraint. I am not advocating for or against the Bundy occupation, however, Harney County Ranchers and Agriculturalists across many western states have been frustratingly pushed out, lost land due to interest groups and have often been downplayed in their importance to American economy. Instead of supporting the real issue, which is a gross misuse of power in our government sectors that affect local management, we are turning on our own and are so inflamed to kill the messenger on the other side, we forget the real issues. Perhaps, instead we can diplomatically work to strengthen land owner rights, protect our ranching way of life which strengthens EVERY community. Show respect for others, even when you don't agree with their opinion. Perhaps, those who live "in town" can sit down with ranchers in the area and find out what struggles they really are facing and how they can help, instead of spreading rumors and misinformation; and perhaps ranchers can combine efforts to educate folks on the importance of land resources and local management issues instead of fighting battles on their own. I know I'm on my soap box and if you don't agree, that's ok. But stop acting like your opinion is the only right opinion, come together as a nation and community and begin to work together on the real issues and government overreaches instead of spreading hate, disrespect and fear producing rhetoric. I am praying for the man who lost his life and his family, and for the community who has a deep divide to heal. Be proactive of course, but be united for sake of the community, this has national consequences for the future, not just for Harney County."

Jaime Cargill 01-27-2016
https://www.facebook.com/jaimecargill?fref=nf

However you look at this sad series of recent incidences, the Esteemed Readers should keep in mind the cause for these and the future confrontations, altercations, and the losses that shall come pass. 
Look for part 2, Back-fill or, Leveling the Field of Understanding.