David Ward (sheriff)

Last updated

Ward was serving as the Harney County sheriff in January 2016 when a loosely organized militia group occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The occupation was covered by national news media. Ward worked with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Oregon State Police to maintain order and protect local citizens during the occupation. [6]

During the standoff, the Los Angeles Times described Ward's evolving public relations savvy, noting that he began "holding events intended to draw media attention, manipulating the twitchy-fingered amplifier of social media and encouraging his supporters to speak up." [10] At one point during negotiations, Ward did not encourage armed militants to remove their firearms, which attracted criticism from Harney County Judge Steve Grasty. [4]

There were a number of altercations between the sheriff and Harney County deputies and the militants for weeks before the occupation began. Ward said that one of the militants, Blaine Cooper, had followed his family when they went Christmas shopping, but militant Ryan Payne reported that Ward's mother had threatened him. [11] [12] Altercations also occurred during the course of the occupation: the tires of Ward's wife's vehicle were found slashed, forcing her to temporarily go into hiding; and Ward's parents were followed by militants while leaving Ward's daughter's Christmas play. [4]

Following the arrest of the final militant on February 11, 2016, Ward said that he was proud of his community. He also encouraged residents, who he noticed were divided by the political rhetoric of the militants, to express their issues to one another rather than staying silent. [13] [14]

During and after the occupation, several media outlets wrote op-eds praising Ward's handling of the incident. [15] [16]

On September 14, Ward was the first to testify against the militants. [17] [18]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harney County, Oregon</span> County in Oregon, United States

Harney County is one of the 36 counties in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2020 census, the population was 7,495, making it the sixth-least populous county in Oregon. The county seat is Burns. Established in 1889, the county is named in honor of William S. Harney, a military officer of the period, who was involved in the Pig War and popular in the Pacific Northwest.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burns, Oregon</span> City in Oregon, United States

Burns is a city in and the county seat of Harney County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. According to the 2020 census, the population was 2,730. Burns and the nearby city of Hines are home to about 60 percent of the people in the sparsely populated county, by area the largest in Oregon and the ninth largest in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malheur National Wildlife Refuge</span> Protected area in eastern Oregon, USA

Malheur National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge located roughly 30 miles (48 km) south of the city of Burns in Oregon's Harney Basin. Administered by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, the refuge area is roughly T-shaped with the southernmost base at Frenchglen, the northeast section at Malheur Lake and the northwest section at Harney Lake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ann Aiken</span> American judge (born 1951)

Ann Louise Aiken is an American attorney and jurist in the state of Oregon. A native Oregonian, she has served as a state court judge of the Oregon circuit courts and worked in private legal practice. She is currently a senior United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon. She served as Chief Judge of the Court from February 1, 2009 to January 31, 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Malheur Lake</span> Natural, eutrophic in an endorheic basin in Harney County, Oregon

Malheur Lake is one of the lakes in the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County in the U.S. state of Oregon. Located about 18 miles (29 km) southeast of Burns, the lake is marsh fed by the Donner und Blitzen River from the south and the Silvies River from the north. Malheur Lake periodically overflows into Mud Lake to the west and thence to Harney Lake, the sink of Harney Basin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harney Lake</span> Alkali lake basin in Oregon, US

Harney Lake is a shallow alkali lake basin located in southeast Oregon, United States, approximately 30 miles (48 km) south of the city of Burns. The lake lies within the boundary of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge and is the lowest point in the Blitzen Valley drainage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Robert Hogan</span> American judge (born 1946)

Michael Robert Hogan is a former United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Oregon. He served as chief judge from 1995 to 2002. He was based at the Wayne L. Morse United States Courthouse in Eugene, Oregon. While he was Chief Judge, he was an influential force on the design of the new courthouse. He took senior status with the court on September 24, 2011 and retired on November 1, 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Double-O Ranch Historic District</span> Historic district in Oregon, United States

The Double-O Ranch Historic District is located west of Harney Lake in Harney County in southeastern Oregon, United States. At one time, the Double-O Ranch covered over 17,000 acres (69 km2). The ranch was owned by Bill Hanley, a well-known cattle baron and Bull Moose progressive. In 1941, the United States Government purchased most of the Double O Ranch property and added it to the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. The two remaining Double-O Ranch buildings are now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cliven Bundy</span> American cattle rancher

Cliven D. Bundy is an American cattle rancher known for his role in the 2014 Bundy standoff. Bundy has advocated a philosophy opposed to what he views as federal government overreach. He is the father of Ammon Bundy, who in 2016 also led another armed standoff against the government, the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge</span> Armed occupation of a US federal protected area in Oregon in 2016

On January 2, 2016, an armed group of far-right extremists seized and occupied the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Harney County, Oregon, and continued to occupy it until law enforcement made a final arrest on February 11, 2016. Their leader was Ammon Bundy, who participated in the 2014 Bundy standoff at his father's Nevada ranch. Other members of the group were loosely affiliated with non-governmental militias and the sovereign citizen movement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Ritzheimer</span> American political activist and former naval officer

Jon Eric Ritzheimer is an American political activist. He is affiliated with the 3 Percenters and formerly associated with the Oath Keepers group, and has used social media to declare his opposition to Islam and the Bureau of Land Management.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Citizens for Constitutional Freedom</span> Armed private U.S. militia

Citizens for Constitutional Freedom (C4CF), later also known as People for Constitutional Freedom (P4CF), was the name taken on January 4, 2016, by an armed private U.S. militia that occupied the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Malheur National Wildlife Refuge headquarters in the U.S. state of Oregon from January 2 to February 11, 2016. The leader of the organization was Ammon Bundy, son of Cliven D. Bundy, who engaged in a standoff with the federal government over grazing rights on federal land.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ammon Bundy</span> American anti-government activist

Ammon Edward Bundy is an American far-right militant and activist who led the 2016 occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon. He is the son of rancher Cliven Bundy, who was the central figure in the 2014 Bundy standoff in Nevada regarding unpaid grazing fees on federally-owned public land.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">LaVoy Finicum</span> American militia group spokesman (1961–2016)

Robert LaVoy Finicum was an American far-right activist who staged an armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in January 2016. After it began, the occupying force organized itself as the Citizens for Constitutional Freedom, of which Finicum was a spokesman. He was the only fatality of the occupation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timeline of the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge</span>

This timeline of the occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge describes the progression of events leading up to, during, and after the occupation. The 2016 event played out over several weeks of public statements, occupying activity, and rallies.

United States v. Hammond was a court case in Oregon, United States, culminating from 20-year-long legal disputes between Harney County ranchers Dwight Lincoln Hammond Jr., 73, his son Steven Dwight Hammond, 46, and federal officials. In 2012, both Hammonds were charged with several counts in relation to two fires in 2001 and 2006, and eventually convicted of two counts of arson on federal land. Knowing they would face the statutory minimum of five years, the men waived their right to appeal these convictions in exchange for dismissal of several unresolved charges. After this mid-trial agreement was entered, the Hammonds were sentenced to a few months in jail, which they served. In 2015, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit vacated these sentences because they were shorter than the statutory mandatory minimum. The Ninth Circuit remanded to the district court for resentencing. The district court subsequently re-sentenced both Hammonds to the mandatory minimum of five years in prison, with credit for time served.

From January 2 to February 11, 2016, the headquarters of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge (MNWR) in eastern Oregon were seized and occupied by an armed group, later called Citizens for Constitutional Freedom, affiliated with private U.S. militias and the sovereign citizen movement following an earlier peaceful march in protest of the prison sentences for ranchers Dwight Hammond and his son, Steven Hammond, who were convicted of arson on federal land, sentenced to five years' imprisonment, and sought clemency from the U.S. president. The occupation received widespread coverage from media outlets.

<i>Malheur Enterprise</i> Weekly newspaper in eastern Oregon, United States

The Malheur Enterprise is a weekly newspaper in Vale, Oregon. It was established in 1909, and since October 2015 has been published by Malheur Enterprise Pub. Co. It is issued weekly on Wednesdays. Early on, it carried the title Malheur Enterprise and Vale Plaindealer. As of 2018 its circulation has been estimated at 1,207 to 1,277.

Glenn E. Palmer is the former sheriff of Grant County, Oregon. Palmer was the only Sheriff in Grant County history to be elected for five consecutive terms. He was first appointed in November 2000. Palmer lost his bid for reelection in 2020.

Marcus Mumford was an American criminal defense lawyer. He was known for representing the defendants in the Occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, and Ponzi schemer Rick Koerber.

References

  1. ↑ "Harney County Sheriff". Harney County, Oregon. Archived from the original on January 31, 2016. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Harney County". Oregon State Sheriffs' Association. 12 May 2020. Retrieved 12 April 2022.
  3. 1 2 Zaitz, Les (January 11, 2016). "Army, rural values help Harney County sheriff face militants". The Oregonian . Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Friedman, Gordon (February 3, 2016). "Sheriff in Oregon standoff no stranger to battle — and peacekeeping". USA Today. Statesman Journal. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  5. ↑ "About Sheriff Ward". Oregon State Sheriffs' Association. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  6. 1 2 Zaitz, Les (January 5, 2016). "Sheriff says steps being taken to end militants' occupation of federal compound". The Oregonian . Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  7. ↑ Howe, Steve (December 10, 2014). "David Ward appointed sheriff until next general election". Burns Times-Herald . Archived from the original on December 26, 2015. Retrieved January 5, 2016.
  8. ↑ "Candidates File for Local Election". Burns Times-Herald . December 9, 2015. Retrieved January 5, 2016.[ permanent dead link ]
  9. ↑ White, Samantha (September 11, 2019). "Sheriff announces resignation". Burns Times-Herald. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  10. ↑ Duara, Nigel (January 10, 2016). "In Oregon standoff, local sheriff embraces the spectacle". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved January 15, 2016.
  11. ↑ Culver, Nina (April 19, 2016). "Malheur militants harassed deputies for weeks before standoff, Oregon sheriff tells Knezovich". Spokesman-Review. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  12. ↑ "Spokane sheriff interviews Harney Sheriff Dave Ward, praises handling of Malheur takeover". The Oregonian (OregonLive.com). April 20, 2016. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
  13. ↑ Parks, Bradley W.; Blanchard, Dave; Wilson, Conrad (February 11, 2016). "Harney County Officials React To Occupation's End". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  14. ↑ Wagner, Laura (February 11, 2016). "Harney County Sheriff Calls For Dialogue Following Oregon Occupation's End". NPR. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  15. ↑ "Sheriff Dave Ward, the true patriot in Harney County's spectacle: Editorial". Oregon Live. January 30, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  16. ↑ Parker, Ian (February 19, 2016). "Everyday Heroes: Harney County Sheriff David Ward". KATU. Retrieved September 6, 2016.
  17. ↑ Bernstein, Maxine (September 13, 2016). "Two contrasting portraits of refuge occupation emerge during opening statements". Oregon Live. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
  18. ↑ Bernstein, Maxine (September 14, 2016). "Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward testifies: 'I didn't go to pick a fight. I wanted them to go home.'". Oregon Live. Retrieved September 14, 2016.
David Ward
Sheriff of Harney County, Oregon
In office
January 2, 2015 –January 2, 2020
Ranches
Lakes
Occupation
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.