2:06 p.m. (PST): Tim Smith — a Burns-area businessman and member of the Harney County Committee on Safety, a group of six local residents formed at the urging of protest leader Ammon Bundy — called the deadly confrontation outside of Burns “very unfortunate” and said federal authorities should disclose exactly what happened.
He said he knows the spot where the shooting occurred, an area 20 miles north of Burns in Devine Canyon along U.S. 395, and described it as a scene out of “an old western movie.”
“This is pretty upsetting for everyone,” Smith said.
But the committee still expects to take up Bundy’s cause, he said. “We’re going to continue to do what our goals have been,” he said.
Bundy has said the occupiers of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge want two local ranchers freed from prison and local control of federal land in Harney County.
While endorsing the attention that Bundy brought to rural issues, Smith and the local committee members asked Bundy and his group of out-of-state protesters to leave the refuge and Smith repeated that Wednesday. A small group of people are believed to remain at the bird sanctuary about 30 miles southeast of Burns.
“For their sake, I hope they go home. ... We asked the Bundy group to go home a long time ago,” Smith said.
3:20 p.m.: The arraignments are over. Ammon Bundy and six others appeared one at a time before the judge. Bundy’s appointed lawyer to issue a statement soon. Other defendants had court-appointed attorneys. The judge found each to be a serious flight risk; prosecution said it feared they might return to Malheur refuge for a last stand.
Ryan Bundy, Ammon’s brother, appeared relaxed, asked courtroom gallery “How are you?” when led in. Asked judge the same.
The complaint against the seven ran 31 pages.
Bundy, through his lawyer, told the remaining occupiers to “Please stand down” and go home.