On January 26, 2016 at approximately 4:30 p.m., Oregon State Police Troopers were involved in an officer involved shooting during the arrest of several individuals near Burns.
As released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, one adult male suspect, believed to be Arizona rancher LaVoy Finicum, is deceased and one other adult male, believed to be Ryan Bundy, age 43, of Bunkerville, Nevada, received non-life threatening injuries.
| When asked what he hoped the federal government would do, Mr. Finicum stated that he hoped “they would go away.” When asked what he would do when they came to arrest him, Finicum told an MSNBC reporter, “I have been raised in the country all my life. I love dearly to feel the wind on my face, to see the sun, to see the moon in the night. I have no intention of spening my days inside a concrete wall. So I will spend whatever days – and I believe that there will be many – and hopefully prosperous days to come – by spending them riding horses trying to take care of my cows and that’s what I will do, but I won’t spend it in a box.”
The reporter asked what Finicum would do if agents tried to arrest him and pointed their guns, he responded, “Well don’t point a gun at me. You don’t point a gun at someone unless you are going to shoot them. That is the first thing you’re taught – don’t point a gun at me.” |
No law enforcement personnel were injured.
The incident occurred on Highway 395, about 20 miles north of Burns. Highway 395 is expected to be closed for an extended amount of time for the investigation to be conducted.
In a separate event in Burns, Oregon, at approximately 5:50 pm, Oregon State Police arrested Joseph Donald O’Shaughnessy, age 45, of Cottonwood, Arizona.
At 8:30 p.m. (PST) on Tuesday, January 26, 2016, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Phoenix Division made a probable cause arrest of Jon Eric Ritzheimer, age 32, on a federal charge related to the armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon. Ritzheimer turned himself into the Peoria, Arizona, police department. The arrest was without incident.
Ritzheimer faces one federal felony charge of conspiracy to impede officers of the United States from discharging their official duties through the use of force, intimidation, or threats, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 372.
One woman in the vehicle provided what is purported to be a firsthand account:
The FBI made the Arizona arrest in conjunction with a series of other arrests made by FBI and Oregon State Police in Harney County, Oregon, earlier in the evening. The following individuals also face the same charge:
Ammon Edward Bundy, age 40, of Emmett, Idaho
Brian Cavalier, age 44, of Bunkerville, Nevada
Shawna Cox, age 59, Kanab, Utah
Ryan Waylen Payne, age 32, of Anaconda, Montana
Peter Santilli, age 50, of Cincinnati, Ohio
Finicum is seen in a video that was posted to Youtube on January 25:
Finicum’s daughter posted on Facebook shortly after the shooting:
This is LaVoy Finicum’s daugher, Thara Tenney posting this. Please share this evil doing!
Posted by LaVoyandjeanette Finicum on Tuesday, January 26, 2016