BURNS, Ore. (AP) – A live stream of a telephone call indicates three of the four remaining occupiers of an Oregon wildlife refuge have surrendered, but one is refusing to budge.
The surrender is playing out over a phone call on an open line streamed live on the Internet by an acquaintance of occupier David Fry, who delayed leaving Malheur National Wildlife Refuge after he said the other three walked out.
They are the last remnants of armed group that seized the refuge on Jan. 2 to oppose federal land use policies.
The FBI hasn’t confirmed that the three surrendered, and the area was too far away for reporters at the scene to see.
Fry is on the call with his acquaintance and a Nevada legislator who drove to the site to aid in the surrender. Fry said Jeff Banta of Nevada and married couple Sean and Sandy Anderson of Idaho have left.
Fry says he “declares war against the federal government.” The holdouts have been indicted with conspiracy to interfere with federal workers and have previously said they wanted assurances they won’t face arrest.