Oregon Sheriff: Standoff ‘not a peaceful occupation’
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon sheriff said under cross-examination that Ammon Bundy never physically threatened him before and during the takeover of a national wildlife refuge last winter.
But Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward said the Bundy-led protest at the refuge was "absolutely not a peaceful occupation." Ward described it as an armed clearing of a room that included military-style tactics. Bundy's attorney, Marcus Mumford, asked the sheriff about a cordial meeting he had with Bundy a few days into the occupation.
In a clip of the meeting, Ward offered Bundy safe passage out of Oregon while praising the leader for getting his message out to the world. Ward said he wasn't there to pick a fight. He just wanted them to leave.