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[h=4]3 holdouts at Ore. wildlife refuge surrender; one balks[/h]The 41-day takeover of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon appeared to be moving to a climax Thursday.
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Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy was apparently planning to join the land-rights protest organized by his son Ammon Bundy at a wildlife refuge in Burns, Oregon. USA TODAY
Nevada Rancher Cliven Bundy, 74, is shown in a booking photo after his arrest in Portland by the FBI on Feb. 10, 2016.(Photo: Multnomah County Sheriff's Office)
In a dramatic last-minute reversal of a carefully choreographed surrender plan,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>one of four holdouts at<span style="color: Red;">*</span>a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon refused to give up Thursday<span style="color: Red;">*</span>and threatened<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to kill himself in a<span style="color: Red;">*</span>broadcast livestreamed<span style="color: Red;">*</span>online.
David Fry, speaking by phone in an interview,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>said he was "feeling suicidal" only moments after his 3 companions<span style="color: Red;">*</span>peacefully surrendered to the FBI and a group led by evangelist Franklin Graham to end the 41-day ordeal.
"I am actually pointing a gun at my head. I am tired of living here," he said at one point. "You guys took away everything from me, for doing nothing wrong."
In a long, rambling rant<span style="color: Red;">*</span>to online commentator Gavin Seim, Fry<span style="color: Red;">*</span>complained at one point of having his taxes pay for abortions and at another that his marijuana had been taken away. Fry, who is from Ohio, seemed particularly upset when voters last year turned down a bill to legalize the sale of marijuana.
"I will no longer be a slave to this system," he<span style="color: Red;">*</span>said, growing increasingly agitated. "I<span style="color: Red;">*</span>will no longer be a slave to this<span style="color: Red;">*</span>system, I<span style="color: Red;">*</span>am a free man and I<span style="color: Red;">*</span>will die a free man."
At another point, he said he was not a Christian but a "messianic Judaist" and spoke at length about UFOs.
The other three holdouts gave up at the FBI checkpoint<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in a carefully planned<span style="color: Red;">*</span>surrender that began to end<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the deadly, 41-day ordeal.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>They<span style="color: Red;">*</span>were<span style="color: Red;">*</span>unarmed as each approached<span style="color: Red;">*</span>approach<span style="color: Red;">*</span>the olive green armored vehicle carrying Graham and Nevada legislator Michelle Fiore.
Sean Anderson and<span style="color: Red;">*</span>his<span style="color: Red;">*</span>wife, Sandy,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>holding hands, went first, their arms held high.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Sean carried an American flag in his right hand.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Sandy was patted down by an FBI agent<span style="color: Red;">*</span>and then taken off.
At that point,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Fry balked, shouting,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"Unless my grievances are heard, I won't come out."
Graham, at the request of the protesters and the FBI, had been in phone contact with the group for the past week to try to negotiate an end to the takeover.
The North Carolina preacher was joined by a Nevada legislator, Michele Fiore, in an armored vehicle to reach the four.
Their surrender process capped almost five weeks of a tense standoff that included the arrest of almost a dozen protesters and the shooting death of one in a shootout with police.
The final act of the drama Thursday morning was being livestreamed online, with Fiore and Graham staying in touch by phone to keep the group calm.
"America's watching, so nothing is going to happen," Fiore said.
Before the surrender, Graham also spoke to the group by phone from an FBI agent near the refuge.
"We are proud of you and love you and look forward to giving you guys a big hug," Graham said before praying and climbing into only the vehicle to drive to the surrender site.
We haven't bathed in a few days so don't be offended," one of the holdouts, Sean Anderson, told Graham.
At one point, in the tense buildup to the final chapter of the long ordeal, Anderson joked that they are "hoping to stop at Denny's" before going to jail.
The latest dramatic twist in the takeover, which began Jan. 2,<span style="color: Red;">*</span><span style="color: Red;">*</span>came only hours after<span style="color: Red;">*</span>FBI agents arrested Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, the father of the protesters'<span style="color: Red;">*</span>jailed leader<span style="color: Red;">*</span>who flew to the state<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in a show of support.
Graham, son of evangelist Billy Graham,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>arrived at the standoff site<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in Burns, Ore., around 8 a.m. PT., at about the time when one of the occupiers, Sean Anderson, said the group planned to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>turn themselves in<span style="color: Red;">*</span>at a nearby FBI checkpoint.
Graham, who is based in North Carolina,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>said on his Facebook page<span style="color: Red;">*</span>that he had been speaking with the four holdouts by phone everyday at the request of the protesters and the FBI.
"Last night I was on the phone with them for several hours, was able to have prayer with them, and they have said they would come out today," he said in the Wednesday night post. "I am on my<span style="color: Red;">*</span><span style="color: Red;">*</span>way there and hope to be there by 7:00 AM their time. Please keep them, law enforcement officials, and all involved in your prayers, that everyone will be safe."
In the final moments leading up to the planned surrender, discussions between the holdouts and Nevada lawmaker Michele Fiore, a sympathizer who flew to Oregon, were<span style="color: Red;">*</span>being livestreamed in an online broadcast.
The occupiers said they were unarmed.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"If they kill us, that's on them," Anderson<span style="color: Red;">*</span>told Fiore.
Fiore said she was in a tent close to the refuge<span style="color: Red;">*</span>with six FBI agents and was awaiting the arrival of Graham before the surrender could take place.
At one point, when Fiore said the FBI agents with her were<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"not hostile," Andeson<span style="color: Red;">*</span>said he suspects there were "snipers all around<span style="color: Red;">*</span>us."
Fiore seemed to agree, but added, "That's why staying alive is key because a dead man can't talk, and a dead man can't write. We have to stay together and stay alive."
OREGONLIVE
Remaining occupiers livestream as FBI surrounds refuge
The FBI<span style="color: Red;">*</span>said agents "moved to contain" the last four holdouts Wednesday by<span style="color: Red;">*</span>hemming them in with armored vehicles<span style="color: Red;">*</span>at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Burns, which they have<span style="color: Red;">*</span>occupied since Jan. 2.
"We reached a point where it became necessary to take action in a way that best ensured the safety of those on the refuge," Greg Bretzing, special agent in charge, said Wednesday in a statement.
Cliven Bundy rides a horse after attending the funeral of of fellow rancher Robert "LaVoy" Finicum on Feb. 5, 2016 in Kanab, Utah. Finicum who was part of the Burns, Oregon standoff with federal officials was shot and killed by FBI agents when they tried to detain him at a traffic stop.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>(Photo: George Frey, Getty Images)
Bundy, 74,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>was arrested<span style="color: Red;">*</span>by the FBI<span style="color: Red;">*</span>after stepping off a plane at<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Portland International Airport on Wednesday evening. He was<span style="color: Red;">*</span>taken to Multnomah County jail.
A post on Bundy<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Ranch's<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Facebook page<span style="color: Red;">*</span>said:<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"Cliven Bundy just landed in Portland; we are being told by eyes on ground that he was surrounded by SWAT and DETAINED."
His sons, Ammon<span style="color: Red;">*</span>and Ryan Bundy, were jailed<span style="color: Red;">*</span>following the Jan. 26 arrest of several members of the armed militia group on charges of interfering with federal officers.
One protester, Robert "LaVoy" Finicum, was killed during a confrontation with the FBI and state troopers after fleeing<span style="color: Red;">*</span>a police roadblock.
The decision by the remaining protesters to give themselves up came after a dramatic confrontation with the FBI<span style="color: Red;">*</span>that played out over an open phone line livestreamed online.
David Fry, 27, of Blanchester, Ohio, sounding<span style="color: Red;">*</span>increasingly agitated, yelled<span style="color: Red;">*</span>several times at<span style="color: Red;">*</span>what he said was an FBI negotiator.
“You’re going to hell. Kill me. Get it over with,” he said. “We’re innocent people camping at a public facility, and you’re going to murder us.”
THE OREGON WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATIONMilitia leader's dad Cliven Bundy arrested | 00:28Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy was apparently planning to join the land-rights protest organized by his son Ammon Bundy at a wildlife refuge in Burns, Oregon. USA TODAY
THE OREGON WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATIONOregon Refuge Occupiers Say They'll Surrender | 01:00One of the four remaining individuals occupying a federal wildlife refuge in eastern Oregon says they'll turn themselves in at a checkpoint on Thursday. Also in Oregon, the FBI says Cliven Bundy was arrested. His son led the occupation. (Feb. 11) AP
THE OREGON WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATIONAmmon Bundy, other Oregon militia members indicted | 00:57Ammon Bundy and at least 10 of his supporters have been formally indicted, but we don't know what the charges are because the indictment is sealed.
Video provided by Newsy Newslook
THE OREGON WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATIONFBI Releases Oregon Shooting Video | 01:29The FBI released video of the shooting death of a spokesman for the armed occupiers of a wildlife refuge. It appears to show Robert LaVoy Finicum reaching into his jacket before he fell. The FBI said the man had a loaded gun in his pocket. (Jan. 29) AP
THE OREGON WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATIONVideo released of shooting death of Oregon protester | 01:15The FBI has released video of state police officers fatally shooting Robert "LaVoy" Finicum, one of the armed Oregon protesters. This video contains portions of the original FBI video, showing the moment Finicum was shot and killed. VPC
THE OREGON WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATIONArmed Oregon standoff continues despite arrests | 01:44The remaining protesters still refuse to leave the wildlife refuge, despite a standoff between the militants and police that ended in one death and eight arrests. VPC
THE OREGON WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATIONMore protesters heading to Oregon standoff | 01:26The FBI arrested three more people in connection with the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. The arrests come a day after eight armed protesters were taken into custody. USA TODAY
THE OREGON WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATIONMore Calls for 'Stand Down" in Oregon Standoff | 01:45Leaders of the armed group that took over a national wildlife refuge in Oregon stay behind bars until at least Friday, but make public appeals to persuade the handful of holdouts at the remote preserve to stand down. (Jan. 28) AP
THE OREGON WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATIONOregon standoff nears end, 3 more protesters arrested | 02:02The FBI arrested three more people in connection with the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. The arrests come a day after eight armed protesters were taken into custody. USA TODAY
THE OREGON WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATIONOre. Residents Wish Militia Had Gone Home | 00:50As authorities urged a handful of anti-government militia members remaining at an Oregon wildlife refuge to abandon the site, residents of the region expressed concern with how Tuesday's arrests and the death of a member played out. (Jan. 27) AP
THE OREGON WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATIONSheriff says Oregon militia 'needs to move on' | 01:06Authorities spoke about the confrontation between Oregon militia members and police, in which one member was shot and killed. VPC
THE OREGON WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATIONHighway Closed After Oregon Militia Shootout | 01:07Roads surrounding a shootout with Oregon militia members have been closed after one member was shot and killed and several members were arrested. (Jan. 27) AP
THE OREGON WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATIONOregon standoff ends in deadly shoot out, 8 arrested | 01:35Three weeks after a group of armed protestors occupied a wildlife refuge in Oregon, the FBI and Oregon State Police moved in to arrest them. VPC
THE OREGON WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATIONReports: Militia group leader Ammon Bundy arrested | 00:59Authorities have reportedly arrested Ammon Bundy, the leader of a group of protesters holed up at a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon. VPC
THE OREGON WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATIONOregon Armed Militia Announce Plans | 00:41The armed militia occupying a wildlife refuge in eastern Oregon plans to tell the local town of Burns on Friday how and when it plans to end its protest - it just needs to find a space to hold a community meeting. With the second week of the occupa Wochit
THE OREGON WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATIONMilitia leader meets Oregon sheriff, refuses to leave | 01:30Oregon's Harney County Sheriff David Ward met with Ammon Bundy, the leader of a small, armed group that has been occupying the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in easter Oregon, and asked the group to "leave peacefully." USA TODAY
THE OREGON WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATIONArmed stand-off in Oregon continues. What does this group want? | 01:42USA TODAY’s Gordon Friedman reports from the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge Headquarters near Burns, Oregon as an armed anti-government militia group continues to occupy the Malheur National Wildlife Headquarters. Gordon Friedman, USA TODAY
THE OREGON WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATIONMilitia 'not leaving' Oregon, ignores sheriff's request | 01:30A group of armed protesters led by Ammon Bundy who took over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon are refusing to leave. VPC
THE OREGON WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATIONOccupying rancher: 'We're not about force' | 01:16A leader of the small armed group that has been occupying a remote national wildlife refuge in Oregon said Tuesday that they will go home when a plan to turn over management of federal lands to locals is implemented. (Jan. 5) AP
THE OREGON WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATIONSheriff to armed militia: Go home | 01:44An Oregon sheriff is calling for an end to the armed takeover at a local wildlife refuge. USA TODAY
THE OREGON WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATIONOregon militia: We tried legal action before takeover | 02:15The militia group, now asking to be named 'Citizens for Constitutional Freedoms', announced their intention to protest the rights of the Hammond ranchers. They claim to have tried petitioning and legal action but to no avail. VPC
THE OREGON WILDLIFE REFUGE OCCUPATIONRancher explains militia takeover in Oregon | 01:19Peaceful protests in Oregon have turned into an armed takeover of federal property. Listen as a rancher explains why militia from across the West are occupying a local wildlife refuge building. KTVB-TV
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“The only way we’re leaving here is dead or without charges,” said Fry, who told the FBI to “get the hell out of Oregon.”
Fry, and the other three holdouts,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Jeff Banta, 46, of Elko, Nev.; and married couple Sean Anderson, 48, and Sandy Anderson, 47, of Riggins, Idaho, joined the protest to<span style="color: Red;">*</span>oppose federal land-use policies.
The elder<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Bundy<span style="color: Red;">*</span>faces federal charges related to a standoff at his ranch with the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in 2014, according to the Bundy web site.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Bundy, who defied authorities<span style="color: Red;">*</span>in a dispute over federal land rights, owes $1 million in grazing fees and penalties. He also faces weapons charges and one count<span style="color: Red;">*</span>of conspiracy to interfere with a federal officer.
USA TODAY
Man killed in Ore. standoff remembered as father, patriot
Bundy's lawyer, Mike Arnold, said the timing of his client's arrest was "terribly unfortunate" given Fiore's progress toward a resolution, according to The Oregonian.
Contributing:<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Melanie Eversley
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