Thursday, January 28, 2016

#Malheur: Last Four Militia Members Are 'Desperate', Heavily Armed — Won't Leave Without Guarantees

According to FBI Special Agent in Charge Greg Bretzing, "I would like to confirm that as of this morning one more person left the refuge through a checkpoint. We believe there are four others who currently remain on the refuge. Since the establishment of checkpoints, a total of nine people have left the refuge. Of those, the FBI released six and arrested three."

Also, from Andrew Dymburt, at KOIN News 6 Portland, "4 militia still occupying refuge. They have demands. include a guarantee they won't be arrested after surrender."

It's David Fry and Sean Anderson, his wife, and one other militia member.

Fry's mentally unstable, it appears. See, "Armed Militiaman David Fry, Among Last Holdouts at Malheur Reserve, Says He's Prepared to Die in Siege."

More at Oregon Public Broadcasting, "Trapped Inside Malheur Refuge, Militants Desperate For Way Out":

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OPB’s Think Out Loud talked Thursday with David Fry and Sandy Anderson, two of the remaining militants inside the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

They offered an inside account of the negotiations taking place with the FBI, and the growing anxiety among the militants as tension mounts to make their next step.

“The option is you go out there and they get you and it’s a felony crime and it’s a prison sentence,” Fry told Think Out Loud host Dave Miller. “A lot of us are scared of that option.”

Fry estimates that there are 20 guns in the refuge, left behind during the chaos of militants fleeing.

“We’re not planning on using any guns. Like I said, we [want] to go home,” he said. “But if they want to attack us then we got to defend ourselves.”

Fry said if the FBI tried to arrest him, he would see it as an attack.
Fry's not on speaking terms with his parents, who live in Ohio, and did not want him to travel to the Malheur refuge. John Sepulvado, at OPB, spoke to Bill Fry, David's father, "... i'm not worried he's going to kill himself. he's a 'shock jock.' he would point a gun at a cop, i could see him doing death by cop." (More here and here.)

And see Matt Pearce, at the Los Angeles Times, "FBI releases video of Oregon occupier's shooting by state police":
One of the four remaining occupiers, David Fry, told the Los Angeles Times in a phone interview Thursday afternoon that “we’re willing to leave” but wanted assurances from the FBI that they wouldn’t be charged.

Some occupiers have been allowed to pass through the police checkpoints, but others have been arrested and charged with federal intimidation charges for occupying the refuge.

“Right now the only thing that’s keeping us here is them not being clear with us with what’s going on,” said Fry, adding that the holdouts have been in periodic contact with two law enforcement negotiators.

“They’re saying three of us can leave and if we leave right now, we’ll be fine,” but a fourth member of the group, a man, faces a criminal charge when he leaves the compound, Fry said.

“Everybody’s really skeptical of what’s going on there,” Fry said.

Fry said that he had spoken with his family. “They’re basically just saying to surrender, it’s not worth dying for,” he said.
RTWT.

I'll have additional reporting as information becomes available.

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