www.oregonlive.com | Robert "LaVoy" Finicum was killed in a shootout Tuesday while traveling from the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge to John Day for a public meeting, sources have told The Oregonian/OregonLive.
It was one day before his 56th birthday, which his wife had traveled from Arizona to celebrate.
www.dailymail.co.uk | Oregon militia spokesman LaVoy Finicum has been shot dead after a traffic stop escalated into a shoot-out that saw Ryan Bundy wounded and eight leaders of the occupation movement arrested. The group's leader Ammon Bundy was among the militiamen arrested during the encounter on Tuesday afternoon as they drove to attend a community meeting in the neighboring town.
It is the climax of a tense stand-off between federal agents and the activists more than three weeks after they took over a government building in Burns, Oregon, to protest two ranchers being jailed. According to local media, shots were fired within minutes of the traffic stop, killing Finicum and wounding Ryan Bundy.It is not clear who opened fire first.
Ammon Bundy, Ryan Bundy, and three other leaders of the occupation - Ryan Payne, Brian Cavalier, and Shawna Cox - were charged with conspiracy to impede federal officers.
Update 7:52am EST: FBI Statement
www.oathkeepers.org | This is a Situation Report from sources on the ground in the vicinity of (IVO) Burns, Oregon, as well as from open source reporting. This SITREP includes information from a SALUTE report generated yesterday* and is augmented with more recent information.
– An estimated 200 federal vehicles are in the town of Burns, Oregon, located at the FBI compound at the Burns Municipal Airport, hotels, and on the roads.
– Including approximately 50 vehicles at the Harney County Sheriff’s Office, we concur with yesterday’s SALUTE report that 400 or more local, state, and federal personnel are on the ground IVO the town of Burns.
– Last week, the FBI compound at the Burns Municipal Airport consisted of one modular tent, a directional microwave antenna, a “cell on wheels” antenna, and a satellite dish mounted on a communications vehicle.
– In the past several days, the FBI presence has significantly increased to three modular tents, six equipment trailers, and one to two dozen mobile light towers, in addition to dozens of additional personnel. Sources on the ground say the increase consists mostly of tactical teams, as opposed to support teams.
– Multiple sources also report that the FBI and other law enforcement demeanor has changed to “almost hostile” towards the Pacific Patriots Network.
www.thenewamerican.com | In recent years under President Obama, federal agencies have been stockpiling alarmingly huge amounts of military hardware, body armor, and riot gear. As concerns continue to mount over an increasingly bloated and powerful federal government, agencies whose primary function is administrative — such as the EPA, FDA, and IRS — have been progressively militarized. Since 2006, 44 federal agencies have spent an astounding $71 million on items such as guns, ammunition, body armor, and riot and tactical gear.
www.oathkeepers.org | We are working with Pacific Patriots Network (PPN) which has established a buffer between the Wildlife Refuge occupiers and the authorities in Oregon. PPN has asked Oath Keepers to put out the call for volunteers to assist in this peaceful mission, which includes a “hearts-and-minds”campaign with the locals, as well as facilitating open dialogue and negotiations between law enforcement and Ammon Bundy.
www.learnliberty.org | The History of Police Militarization featuring Professor Abby Hall. In recent events, police brutality has been a major concern in America. What has led to the use of military-grade weapons and tactics among American police forces?