One of the Bundy brothers had been livening in Emmett, ID for one time before this...where I live.
The Bundy’s and others were trying to drive to John Day Oregon this evening when they were stopped by the FBI and the Oregon Highway Patrol.
Gunfire ensued...with some reports indicating that the Feds initiated the shooting while Lavoy Finicum, who was shot, was trying to negotiate a surrender, but that is confirmed.
Both Bundys were taken into custody,. LaVoy Finicum, was killed and another member of the group wounded.
This happened about 15 miles from the refuge.
I am wondering what motivated them to try and drive to John Day? Were they on back roads? Were they trying to avoid a larger confrontation? I heard that they were going to a another meeting there.
Time will tell.
Jeff, if you are close to the story in any way, it would be very helpful to share whatever you find from time to time.
This really strikes me as totally unnecessary on the part of the feds.
“I am wondering what motivated them to try and drive to John Day?”
I’m puzzled too. Why would several people, who know they’re targets for arrest, drive around an area they know is swarming with hostile cops out to get them? It’s like they wanted a confrontation.
Confirmed by who?
Maybe...maybe not.
FMCDH(BITS)
They have been invited to a meeting in John Day, another city nearby, by the Sheriff. There were supposedly 100 or so people waiting in a rec center who were told the scheduled speakers would not be arriving.
Were they on back roads?
No. I am very familiar with the area. They were on what passes for the main highway going north/south in that area. It would be very difficult to go from Burns to John Day any other way, even for locals at this time of year. Impossible at night for out-of-area people.
Were they trying to avoid a larger confrontation?
No, I believe they thought they were negotiating and meeting with authorities in a public forum good faith.
I heard that they were going to a another meeting there.
Yes, they were.
Apparently the Sheriff who invited them was part of the team that took them down, so it seems like they were lured out of the Refuge with a false offer by LEOs, then intercepted on the road. Whether it was a full ambush is hard to say, but one of the survivors say there were many men in the woods with target rifles with laser sighting devices and that 120 shots were fired at the vehicle Levon was driving.
See my previous post for her first hand account of how it went down.