3 More Oregon Militia Members Arrested, as Leader Tells His Followers to 'Go Home and Hug Your Families'
01/28/2016 AT 11:00 AM EST
Ammon Bundy, who was arrested Tuesday after leading a militia group in a takeover of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon, told his followers Wednesday to end the occupation, according to reports, as three alleged militia members voluntarily gave themselves up.
"Please stand down. Go home and hug your families. This fight is now in the courts," Bundy said in a statement read by his attorney, Mike Arnold, after Bundy's first court appearance in Portland, the Associated Press reports.
Meanwhile, the FBI said in a statement that it arrested three men on Wednesday: Duane Leo Ehmer, 45, of Irrigon, Oregon; Dylan Wade Anderson, 34, of Provo, Utah; and Jason S. Patrick, 43, of Bonaire, Georgia.
"All were in contact with the FBI, and each chose to turn himself into agents at a checkpoint outside the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The arrests were without incident," the FBI said.
"Please stand down. Go home and hug your families. This fight is now in the courts," Bundy said in a statement read by his attorney, Mike Arnold, after Bundy's first court appearance in Portland, the Associated Press reports.
Meanwhile, the FBI said in a statement that it arrested three men on Wednesday: Duane Leo Ehmer, 45, of Irrigon, Oregon; Dylan Wade Anderson, 34, of Provo, Utah; and Jason S. Patrick, 43, of Bonaire, Georgia.
"All were in contact with the FBI, and each chose to turn himself into agents at a checkpoint outside the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The arrests were without incident," the FBI said.
That left five occupiers at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge as of late Wednesday, according to the Oregonian. One of them, David Fry, 27, of Ohio, said in a video feed from the site that the group has been negotiating with the FBI to end the occupation, the paper said.
Fry claimed the FBI is willing to let four of the men leave without charges but wants to charge a fifth with a felony of conspiracy to interfere with federal employees, reports the Oregonian. However, the FBI has not confirmed that. Fry said that all five will leave if that single felony charge is dropped.
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Wednesday's developments came a day after one occupier was killed and Bundy and others were arrested while driving to a community meeting. The Los Angeles Times and other media outlets identified the man who was killed as standoff spokesman Robert "LaVoy" Finicum.
The FBI has not released details of what exactly happened during that incident, but a local farmer who chose to remain anonymous tells PEOPLE it was unjustified.
"We see this as an ambush," the farmer said. "An ambush was set up with a lot of firepower. They took these people down on the road. I travel that road. What if they mistake me for someone I'm not? I want to be able to drive down the road. I don't expect to be riddled with bullets."
The farmer added: "This took a very bad turn. They didn't have to kill that man."
Bundy and six others who have been arrested and accused in the armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge will remain in jail, after a judge on Wednesday deemed them flight risks and a danger to public safety, the Oregonian reported.
Fry claimed the FBI is willing to let four of the men leave without charges but wants to charge a fifth with a felony of conspiracy to interfere with federal employees, reports the Oregonian. However, the FBI has not confirmed that. Fry said that all five will leave if that single felony charge is dropped.
• Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.
Wednesday's developments came a day after one occupier was killed and Bundy and others were arrested while driving to a community meeting. The Los Angeles Times and other media outlets identified the man who was killed as standoff spokesman Robert "LaVoy" Finicum.
The FBI has not released details of what exactly happened during that incident, but a local farmer who chose to remain anonymous tells PEOPLE it was unjustified.
"We see this as an ambush," the farmer said. "An ambush was set up with a lot of firepower. They took these people down on the road. I travel that road. What if they mistake me for someone I'm not? I want to be able to drive down the road. I don't expect to be riddled with bullets."
The farmer added: "This took a very bad turn. They didn't have to kill that man."
Bundy and six others who have been arrested and accused in the armed takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge will remain in jail, after a judge on Wednesday deemed them flight risks and a danger to public safety, the Oregonian reported.
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