FBI ‘felt it was time’ to end Malheur occupation

The FBI held a press conference Thursday regarding the arrests of the four holdouts at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. Special Agent in Charge Greg Bretzing confirmed all four occupiers were arrested without incident and with no shots being fired from either side. Reverend Franklin Graham and Nevada Assemblywoman Michele Fiore were at the refuge gate and greeted them as they left the encampment. Bretzing said they were both crucial to the resolution of the standoff. Bretzing said law enforcement will continue to man checkpoints at the edge of the refuge because it is considered a crime scene. Both Bretzing and Harney County Judge Steve Grasty, who also spoke at the press conference, reiterated that armed occupation of federal property is a crime and will be treated as such. While Bretzing said negotiations with the four remaining occupiers, David Fry, Sean and Sandy Anderson, and Jeff Banta, had been going on for many days, the pressure was put on them Wednesday night. “We felt it was time, both for the safety of those on the refuge and officers, to up the pressure on the refuge folks,” said Bretzing...more