By Aimee Green
The Oregonian
PORTLAND — Oregon standoff defendant Ryan Bundy was involved in a physical confrontation with sheriff’s deputies Tuesday morning after he refused to let them handcuff him to take him out of the downtown jail for part of the day, a Multnomah County jail spokesman said.
U.S. marshals were scheduled to transport Bundy about 6 a.m. from the Multnomah County Detention Center, said sheriff’s Capt. Steve Alexander. He didn’t know where Bundy was going.
When jail deputies went to Bundy’s cell to escort him to the marshals, Bundy didn’t want to go, Alexander said. Bundy argued with a sergeant, who was trying to handcuff him when Bundy “spun around” and the sergeant took him to the ground, Alexander said.
Several deputies assisted in ultimately handcuffing Bundy, who was then examined by medical staff.
“He was fine,” Alexander said.
Although social media posts by Bundy’s supporters say he sustained bruises, Alexander said, “At the time he was checked by medical, there was no redness or anything noted like that.”
Bundy was then taken to his intended destination and returned to jail later in the day, Alexander said.
On social media, Bundy’s supporters were speculating about whether he was being taken to have a bullet or bullet fragment removed from his shoulder that prosecutors want to use as evidence in their investigation in a separate case -- the Jan. 26 shooting by Oregon State Police that left LaVoy Finicum dead and Bundy with a wound to his shoulder.
U.S. marshals declined comment about where Bundy went, and the federal prosecutor’s office declined comment. U.S. District Court records don’t show any hearings scheduled Tuesday.
Bundy is representing himself, but his standby defense counsel, Lisa Ludwig, declined to comment.
It’s not the first time Bundy has tangled with his handlers. In April, deputies found a rope of torn sheets braided together and hidden under his mattress at the Multnomah County Detention Center and accused him of trying to escape, though no formal charges were brought. Bundy said he was a rancher practicing his rope-braiding skills.
This time, Alexander said, Bundy is being written up for administrative violations for allegedly failing to follow orders, behaving in a “threatening” or “assaultive” manner and fighting with staff.
Alexander said an administrative hearing will be held in three days -- and if the hearings officer finds that Bundy stepped out of line, his privileges in jail will be affected.
Bundy was in “general housing” Tuesday morning but since has been moved to “disciplinary housing’ where he has less free time out of his cell and is under higher security, Alexander said.
Ryan Bundy is the older brother of Ammon Bundy, the leader of the 41-day occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in eastern Oregon. Ryan Bundy was wounded in the right shoulder on Jan. 26 when state police and FBI agents stopped him and other occupation organizers at a roadblock on a highway outside the refuge.
The Bundys and six other co-defendants are scheduled for trial Sept. 7 for their alleged involvement in the armed takeover earlier this year. Prosecutors say the group broke into safes, tampered with federal records and left behind a huge mess, including ammunition, explosives, trash and human waste.
Ryan Bundy is representing himself in the case.
Copyright 2016 The Oregonian