Crime, Law & Justice

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupier Ryan Bundy filed a series of court motions late Thursday, declaring himself a sovereign citizen who isn't subject to federal laws.

Bundy, who is representing himself in the conspiracy case against the refuge occupiers, declares himself an ""  and not subject to federal law, according to the documents.

Ryan Payne, one of the leaders of occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Tuesday pleaded guilty to conspiring to prevent federal employees from doing their jobs.

“I plead guilty, your honor,” Payne said to U.S. District Court Judge Anna Brown on Tuesday.

Prosecutors dismissed a second charge against Payne, possession of firearms and dangerous weapons in federal facilities.

Federal prosecutors said Monday that Ryan Bundy tore his bed sheets and braided them together into 12–15 feet of rope in an attempt to escape Multnomah County Jail.

Bundy is at the jail awaiting trial for his role in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupation earlier this year.

"We have actual evidence that he tried to escape," Assistant U.S. Prosecutor Geoffrey Barrow told the court during a pre-trial detention hearing in Portland.

Eugene fire and police departments are investigating after a mysterious fire started at Sheldon High School last night.

Lance Lighty with the Eugene-Springfield Fire Department said the fire caused severe damage to one modular classroom.

“There's two modular buildings connected by a wood deck, about 20 feet apart from each other," said Lighty. "Then they sat behind the gym, about 10 feet off the gym. And again there was no damage to the other modular or the main part of the school.”

Sheldon High School was on lockdown for about 45 minutes Thursday afternoon.

Eugene Police will have extra officers on patrol when Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump comes to Eugene Friday.

Eugene Police are investigating what they call a bias crime against a 15-year old African-American boy. Police say the boy was chased by two white men who he felt were trying to assault him.

Eugene Police have recovered an exotic monkey from an out-of-town prostitute. A local pet store owner allegedly gave the Galago primate named Gooey to her as a tip.

Body cameras will soon be part of the Eugene Police Department's uniform. But which brand will be used? Friday 8 different vendors displayed their products to officers. Captain Sherri Meisel says they look at durability and storage.

Meisel: "Some people would think; 'Oh, we just taker video with our phone.' There's a lot of data that has to be collected and stored. Well, if you start multiplying that by a number of officers over many hours during a day, there's a lot more at stake than just having the actual camera itself."

Law enforcement and state officials continue to receive death threats from people angered over the shooting of Malheur National Wildlife Refuge occupier Robert “LaVoy” Finicum.

“Kill cops because they are cops, if for no other reason,” one man believed to be from Oregon wrote on social media. “Just walk up asking for directions and shoot them in the [expletive] face.”

Media were allowed into the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge buildings Wednesday for the first time since the occupation ended last month.

The refuge, which was blanketed in snow during the 41-day occupation, shows signs of spring’s arrival: birds twitter and chirp and cattle graze in the distance. On the surface, life seems to be moving on. However, there are numerous costs in returning the refuge back to normal.

Organizers who opposed the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge raised more than $130,000 in support of nonprofit organizations and the Burns-Paiute Tribe.

When Oregon State Police stopped Robert “LaVoy” Finicum along a remote stretch of Highway 395, the militant was desperate to reach one man.

“I’m going over to meet with the sheriff in Grant County,” Finicum yelled to troopers during the Jan. 26 fatal traffic stop, moments before his death. “You can come along with us, and talk with us over there.”

Finicum had reason to try and reach Sheriff Glenn Palmer. Over his four terms in office, Palmer has been outspoken about what he sees as government overreach.

A new indictment unsealed Wednesday confirms the fears of members of the Burns Paiute Tribe that militants damaged an archaeological site during the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

The new charge is against occupier Sean Anderson and another defendant whose name has been redacted, suggesting he or she may not be in law enforcement custody.

Investigators with the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office and the Harney and Malheur County district attorneys declared Tuesday the shots that killed militant LaVoy Finicum were justified and “necessary."

Investigators also said that, despite complaints from occupiers and their supporters that police shot more than 100 times into the truck carrying Finicum and other militants, only eight shots were fired – six from the Oregon State Police and two by members of the FBI hostage rescue team.

The sandhill cranes and the red-winged blackbirds are now landing in Harney County. The snow on the hay fields is melting. Bird calls fill the air near the still-closed headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

The migratory birds may not sense any difference this spring as they flock to the lakes and wetlands, but for the 16 federal employees who work at the refuge, this season will be very different from years past.