Confrontation between ranchers, federal officials ends in arrest

A tense encounter Sunday between federal officials and a southern Nevada ranching family ended in a violent arrest, family members who witnessed the incident alleged Sunday. At about 4 p.m., federal agents, some dressed in full military gear and wielding mounted sniper rifles, surrounded members of rancher Cliven Bundy’s family as they parked along State route 170 near Bunkerville, south of Mesquite, Ryan Bundy, one of Cliven’s sons, said. Four vehicles had approached the area, all with family members inside, intending to take photos and video of a cattle impoundment the agency ordered this week after a 25-year dispute over cattle grazing on public lands. “We were at the mouth of Sheep Trough Road trying to get pictures of the trucks that were hauling our cattle,” Ryan said. “All of sudden 11 other BLM vehicles came driving up and kind of surrounded us. Then two of the trucks drove up on the side of the hill and four guys got out and set up sniper posts; rifles, tripods, the whole bit.” The family was told to leave the area and instructed that they were only allowed in a designated “First Amendment Area” at a different section of the highway — the agency had closed to public access large sections of public lands in the area as a safety precaution while rounding up the cattle. Most of the family started to leave, but Dave Bundy, 37, stayed behind to continue taking video with an iPad, Ryan said. At that point some of the men from the BLM vehicles attacked Dave, Ryan said, tackling him to the ground. A German Shepherd dog was utilized in the attack. “I stayed there long enough to see him struggling on the ground before we drove away,” Ryan said. “We wasn’t doing nothing but filming. If that’s not a violation of our First Amendment rights I don’t know what is.” As of Sunday evening, Cliven Bundy said the family had still not seen or heard from Dave Bundy, nor were they aware of his whereabouts or his condition...more

How dare them take pictures of the federales!  It sounds like they were on a state road, not federal property.  Wonder how many attack dogs are in BLM's arsenal?