"We felt it was a win, win, win situation going into the refuge," Ammon Bundy said on the stand Thursday, capping a third day of testimony in federal court in Portland. Bundy is one of seven people on trial on charges stemming from the 41-day armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.
"I knew there was a risk, of course, but I felt the entire time it was worth it."
Bundy, led through testimony by his lawyer, Marcus Mumford, told jurors about life during the occupation - focusing on some of the more mundane moments such as going into Burns for a haircut and Chinese food, meeting with ranchers, leading prayer sessions, and giving talks on property rights.
And there were the not-so mundane moments such as January 26th when he and others were arrested as they were headed to a meeting with Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer.
Bundy talked about the stop, the fear he felt, about what would happen if he even moved.
"They were constantly threatening to open fire," he told jurors. "I had red dots all over me.
"I believed my life was in extreme danger if I moved in any way. I didn't even reach to pick up my hat in the seat next to me because I was afraid I'd get shot.'" Bundy's associate, LaVoy Finicum - who sometimes acted as the occupation spokesman - was killed that day when he ran from the traffic stop and reached for a gun.
Bundy described learning that Finicum had been shot when, under arrest, he encountered two associates who had been traveling with Finicum.
"Victoria Sharp and Shawna Cox were in the van. Ryan and LaVoy were not,'' he said. "They very emotionally told me LaVoy had been shot.''
Assistant United States Attorney Ethan Knight objected.
Judge Anna Brown reminded lawyers - not for the first time in the trial - that the only thing to be brought up about Finicum's death are when and where he was shot...
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