A rancher from Mojave County has been killed in a shootout with police in Oregon. Robert “Lavoy”Finicum was one of the armed protestors occupying a federal wildlife refuge there for nearly a month. Arizona Public Radio’s Aaron Granillo reports.
Finicum’s daughter told the Oregonian her father was killed during a standoff with state and federal authorities on Tuesday night. Just one day before the encounter, Finicum told the newspaper he noticed the federal government had been ramping up their enforcement near the refuge.
“Whether it’s just saber-rattling to intimidate or whether they actually mean it, we don’t know," said Finicum. "All we know is what we see. They do not want to let go of this. They do not intend on losing here.”
Finicum was part of a group led by rancher Ammon Bundy. Police say several members were pulled over while driving to a community meeting. The events leading up to Tuesday night's shooting are unclear, but police say seven were arrested in the incident, while an eighth suspect was taken into custody out of state. Two Arizonans linked to the occupation have been arrested on federal charges, including a man from Cottonwood.
