Oregon standoff: Militia leader Ammon Bundy arrested and one militant dead after shootout

Federal authorities have arrested Ammon Bundy, the leader of a group occupying a federal wildlife refuge in Oregon with one person killed in a shootout.

Police said at least four of Bundy's followers were also arrested during the traffic stop on Tuesday (26 January) with shots fired following the stop, but it remains unclear who fired first.

The arrest near Burns, Oregon occurred around 4.30pm PST/12.30am GMT as Bundy and a group of his followers were on their way to a community meeting in John Day, Oregon, KATU News reported.

The FBI and Oregon State Police confirmed Bundy, Ryan C. Bundy, Brian Cavalier, Shawna Cox and Ryan Waylen Payne were arrested and will face felony charges.

Officials also said there was one fatality and that one person suffered non-life threatening injuries and was taken to a local hospital.

According to Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB), fellow occupier Anthony Bosworth could not initially confirm that Bundy was involved in the confrontation with police. "No one has reported back from [Bundy's] detail or anybody that was with him that there was any trouble," Bosworth said about an hour before officials confirmed Bundy's arrest.

The Harney District Hospital in Burns was placed on lockdown, OPB confirmed. Meanwhile, the Oregon Department of Transportation closed down the intersection of US 395 and US 20 near Burns. However, OPB noted that it is unclear if the hospital lockdown and highway closures were related to Bundy's arrest.

Lisa Goodman, a spokeswoman for St Charles Health System in Bend told Oregon Live that an AirLink ambulance was dispatched to Burns. However, she could not confirm how many people were being retrieved or whether Bundy was among them. "It's on the ground there now," she said. "We can't confirm it's Ammon Bundy. We don't know who it is."

Oregon Governor Kate Brown repeatedly asked for assistance from federal authorities regarding the standoff. "The residents of Harney County have been overlooked and underserved by federal officials' response thus far," Brown said during a news conference last week. "This spectacle of lawlessness must end. And until Harney County is free of it I will not stop insisting that federal officials enforce the law."

Bundy and his group of protesters occupied the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge since 2 January in a demonstration against federal land policies, according to CNN. The occupation began as a protest against the sentencing of local ranchers Dwight Hammond and his son Steven, who were convicted of arson on federal lands.