Posted on 01/16/2016 4:33:10 AM PST by Nextrush
Two federal government vehicles from the occupied Malheur National Wildlife Refuge pulled into the Safeway parking lot in Burns yesterday.
The driver of one vehicle went into the store, the driver of the other was arrested by Oregon State Police.
Kenneth Medenbach, 62, of Crescent, OR was arrested on suspicion of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle.
A story on Medenbach was published by the "Bend Bulletin" newspaper.
The newspaper reports that Medenbach was released last year after he was arrested for camping on Bureau of Land Management land on condition that he not go onto any federal land.
Authorities took the federal vehicles in the parking lot. They had "Harney County Resource Center" labels on them. That's the new name for the wildlife refuge adopted by the Citizens for Constitutional Freedom occupying it.
After Robert "LaVoy" Finicum of the Citizens for Constitutional Freedom met with the media yesterday, he took the media to a transformer station six miles outside of Burns.
Finicum climbed a ladder on a pole at the corner of the station. He opened a box and dropped two cameras to the ground according to "Oregon Live".
Finicum told the media that the cameras were installed by the federal government to spy on Harney County residents.
It was two weeks ago today that the occupation at the wildlife refuge in Harney County, Oregon began.
Demands of the Citizens for Constitutional Freedom are the release of Dwight and Steven Hammond from federal prison and the return of federal lands to their rightful owners, the families who previously owned the land.
Ryan Payne, one of the leaders of the occupation, spoke with "Oregon Live" and said efforts are underway to get a process going to return federal land in the county to the families that owned it before.
The "Los Angeles Times" has published a story within the last hour with some depth to it including a picture showing the Gadsden flag flying at the entrance to the refuge.
Ammon Bundy is quoted in the story as saying "We're kind of in limbo."
Thanks for the info. I wonder why they were using government vehicles. To prove the point that gov can’t just own anything it wants to take?
Sounds more like the cameras were installed to protect the transformer station, or at least identify anyone intent on damaging it.
I sympathize with their cause. Occupying a government building as a method of protest is one thing.
Taking and using a government vehicle is no different than a punk taking my vehicle. It’s called theft. The POS needs to be tried on theft charges, and if found guilty be sentenced the same as any other thief.
you can go claim your 160 acres if you have the grit.
you won’t make it because the land is for the most part no good
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