Oregon sheriff describes takeover of wildlife refuge as far from peaceful

The takeover of a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon by anti-government protesters wasn't violent, a county sheriff testified, but it was far from peaceful. "Certainly it's not normal to have a hundred people walking around with firearms on our streets," Harney County Sheriff Dave Ward said Wednesday, becoming the first witness to testify in the trial of Ammon Bundy, his brother Ryan and five others charged with conspiracy in the 41-day takeover of a federal wildlife preserve in southeast Oregon. Ward testified in the federal courthouse here that features a wall engraved with a quote from Thomas Jefferson: "The boisterous sea of liberty is never without a wave." The sheriff told the jury how such a wave, ridden by Ammon Bundy and his supporters, came crashing down on Harney County early this year. On Jan. 2, Ward was watching what he thought was a live TV feed of a Bundy-led rally just three blocks from his office in Burns.