Perhaps you should step away from the keyboard for a break?
Do remind yourself that there were no witnesses and remind yourself of why they were afraid of “arrest” under such conditions.
The FedGuv operatives could have arrested David Koresh when he went jogging or wnet to town. Instead they played Rambo, took casualties, and returned with overwhelming military force and roasted a couple of doeen children and a bunch of adults.
A reasonable and prudent person would want to be arrested in a setting with witnesses.
Also, have you considered that if the witness was right, and that spots were fired at the traffic stop, that their attempt to reach the nearest town of John Day was also reasonable under the circumstances?
Exactly. But that wasn't part of their plan.
Two vehicles were involved in this incident. The first vehicle stopped at the first checkpoint. All the occupants of that vehicle are alive. The second vehicle took off from the first checkpoint. The passengers who stayed in that vehicle are alive, although they probably have ringing in the ears and watery dues due to the illegal actions of the driver. The driver of the second vehicle who led the police on a chase, was speeding, driving recklessly, got out of the vehicle and reached for his waistband is dead.
The fact that all of the occupants of the vehicles are alive except one is strong evidence that this wasn’t an ambush, execution or anything else that the conspiracy theorists can come up with.