ABSTRACT
In January 2016, an armed militia group took over the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon. The leader was Ammon Bundy, who believed he was ordained by God to end the federal government’s ownership of the mostly rural land in Harney County. He formed the Citizens for Constitutional Freedom, a far-right-wing militia, that cooperated with and was supported by other militias. Even though Bundy and his associates let law enforcement know that they intended to take over the refuge headquarters and did so on 2 January, law enforcement stayed away from the area until the fifth week of the siege. During the siege, other militias set up a defensive perimeter around the headquarters and the police allowed members to leave and enter the refuge at will. It was not until the fourth week of the siege that law enforcement intercepted some of the leaders resulting in a shooting, a car chase, and arrests. Still the siege went on for another two weeks before the remaining members surrendered to the FBI.
