Well, well, well. On Wednesday evening, it looked like the long, bitter Oregon standoff was entering its final hours. The so-called Bundy militia had dug in their heels since early January. They endured many hardships (of their own making) while occupying a federal bird sanctuary. People called them #Vanilla ISIS and #YallQaeda, and #DaddySworeAnOath rode high, but never received a rap remix.
The vast majority of what went down in Oregon was completely ridiculous, although one member — Lavoy “Tarpman” Finicum — lost his life after reaching for a gun during an FBI arrest operation. Several members of the militia were arrested while notorious rancher Cliven Bundy talked big in the aftermath. Now, Cliven Bundy has gotten himself arrested, too.
No one really knows what Bundy wished to accomplish, but four occupants remained at the refuge. The FBI surrounded the stubborn occupiers in armored vehicles, and this was expected to be the final standoff. A livestream revealed negotiations and arguments with shouty voices blaming Obama for allowing terrorists to enter the country. None of what these dudes said made sense, but Cliven Bundy tried to come to the rescue. Oregon Live reports how Bundy touched down at Portland International Airport and was promptly arrested late Wednesday night:
Bundy, 74, was booked into the downtown Multnomah County jail at 10:54 p.m.
He faces a conspiracy charge to interfere with a federal officer — the same charge lodged against two of his sons, Ammon and Ryan, for their role in the Jan. 2 takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Burns. He also faces weapons charges.
Bundy had long pledged to “take control” of the situation, and it seems he tried to make good on the promise. The Bundy Ranch Facebook page confirmed the arrest and said Bundy was surrounded by a SWAT team:
What was Cliven Bundy planning to do? Bust in like Arnold Schwarzenegger in Commando? There’s really no telling how his mind works, but the sad saga of the Bundy militia is finally ending. The remaining occupiers are expected to surrender on Thursday morning, and perhaps this will conclude without any more bloodshed.
(Via Oregon Live and Raw Story)