Case 3:16-cr-00051-BR

Document 1442-3

Filed 10/16/16

Page 1 of 3
Focm ~260-2 7"
(March 2012)

U.S. Department of the Interior

Bureau of Land Management
Office of Law Enforcement and Security

MEMORANDUM OF ACTIVITY

Date:

April 15, 2014

Person Conducting Activity:

SA Jason Curry

Activity Location:

BLM OLES Region 3 NVAJT

Post 1 and Post 2, Incident Command Post

Reference:

Operation Gold Butte Cattle Impound

On Saturday, April 12, 2014, I was on duty and assigned to the Bureau of Land Management
(BLM) Gold Butte Cattle Impound. On April 12th, I was assigned to the Investigative team and
was working in a plain clothes assignment. I was not wearing a uniform. The Incident
Command Post (ICP) for the cattle impound operation was located approximately five to six (56) miles south of Mesquite, Nevada, close to mile marker 115 of Interstate 15 (1-15). The
command post was located north of I-15 several hundred yards and was fenced in and posted
with numerous closure signs. A temporary closure of the area of the cattle impound operations
was in effect after being published in the federal register and signs were posted throughout the
area.

On the evening of April 11, 2014, The Gold Butte Cattle Impound operations had been
cancelled by BLM Incident Command staff due to the increasing threats of violence and death
threats against the BLM employees, contractors, and law enforcement personnel assigned to the
operation as well as for general public safety.
Also on Friday night, April 11, 2014, most BLM officers and vital civilian personnel assigned
to the Gold Butte Cattle Impound were ordered to spend the night at the ICP instead of their
hotel rooms due to the increased threats and increased threat level against BLM employees who
were assigned to the operation. We were ordered to spend half the night on watch and then be
relieved to attempt to sleep in our vehicles for the remainder of the night.
o

Early in the morning of April 12th, 2014, SA Shilaikis, SA Mark Brunk, Law Enforcement
Ranger David Russell and I were assigned to and began escorting several civilian personnel
away from the Gold Butte Cattle Impound area of operations.
At approximately 1100-1115 hours on April 12, 2014, SA Robert Shilaikis and I were returning
to the ICP in SA Shilaikis assigned unmarked law enforcement vehicle when we received a
phone call from our team leader, SA Michael Johnson, advising us that there were
approximately one (1) to two (2) hundred protestors arriving in the area of and advancing on the
ICP. The front gate of the ICP was located just north of the southbound 1-15 lane (which
actually runs east at this location).
SA

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552.

MNWR 0066439

Case 3:16-cr-00051-BR

Document 1442-3

Filed 10/16/16

Page 2 of 3
Form 9260-2 7
( Ma=ch 2012)

Page 2- 4/15/2014

Upon our arrival, Special Agent in Charge Loren Good advised SA Shilaikis and I to assist
fortifying post 1. I put on a hat marked with a law enforcement badge as well as displaying my
law enforcement badge on a neck chain. While at post 1, I observed approximately 75 - 100
protestors arrive. Most of the protestors parked along both sides of the shoulders of I-15 in both
the northbound and southbound lanes. I observed numerous protestors armed with handguns
holstered on their sides.
At approximately 1125 hours, I was reassigned to Post 2, which was a wash that ran north and
south directly below the underpasses of the northbound and southbound lanes of I-15. I arrived
and observed protestors screaming and yelling from on top of the overpasses on the interstate. I
observed several protestors pulling up BLM closure signs and observed three (3) of those signs
thrown at officers located at Post 2 from the southbound overpass by different protestors.
I observed what appeared to be in excess of 200 protestors arriving in the area of Post 2. I
observed several protestors were wearing tactical type clothing to include tactical vests, ballistic
vests, and camouflage style uniforms. I observed a large number of protestors located in the
area of the wash which were armed with handguns worn in holsters on their hips. I observed
between seven (7) and ten (10) protestors armed with long guns in various locations. I observed
two (2) subjects with long guns beneath the overpasses who appeared to be hiding behind the
concrete support pillars of the overpasses. The two individuals armed with long guns were
alternating between standing and kneeling behind the pillars and were directly behind several
women and children. I observed two (2) separate individuals on top of the northbound lane
overpass armed with long guns. One (1) of the individuals armed with a long gun on top of the
northbound lane overpass was wearing a black hat, and the other subject was wearing a tan hat.
Both of these armed protestors repeatedly ducked down beneath the concrete wall structure of
the overpass facing north toward the officers positioned at Post 2.
I observed several more protestors armed with long guns near the eaves of the overpass supports
on both sides of the wash. I then observed an individual with a long gun on the west side of the
wash up toward the eaves of the overpass, point his long gun and swing it in a sweeping motion
past all of the officers at Post 2. This subject appeared to be looking through an optic or scope
at officers at Post 2.
10. I then observed a crowd form up which contained numerous people on horseback, as well as
people on foot. The crowds got in a line and advanced up to the fence separating the protestors
from Post 2, the closure area and area of operations for the ICP. Numerous of these protestors
were also armed with holstered handguns. I heard radio traffic from the BLM command staff
authorizing the use of less lethal force options if the protestors began to breach the fence. I
observed the protestors advance up to the fence and appear to be attempting to dismantle part of
it on the west side of the fence. I observed and heard the crowd ofprotestors screaming
obscenities and yelling "BLM Go Home" as they were advancing toward the fence. During this
time, I heard repeated radio communications from different officers pointing out subjects armed
with long guns, and on a few occasions, officers describing different suspects pointing long
guns at us.

SA Curry
This report is property of the Offxce of Law Enforcement and Security and is loaned to your agency; it end its contents may not
be reproduced without written permission. The report is ~OR OFFZCIAL USE ONLY and its disclosure to unauthorized persons is
prohibited. Public availability to be determined by 5 U. S. C. 552.

Dissemination Limited by Court Order

HNWR 0066440

Case 3:16-cr-00051-BR

Document 1442-3

Filed 10/16/16

Page 3 of 3
Form 9260-2 7
(Ma~ch 2012)

Page 3- 4/15/2014

II. The entire time I was stationed at Post 2, I felt all the officers assigned to this post lives were in
danger of serious bodily harm or death due to the threat of armed suspects pointing weapons at
us. I also believed the crowd was and I observed it appearing to become angrier and more
agitated as the minutes passed.

12. I heard numerous radio requests from BLM officers for the interstate lanes to be shut down and
cleared. I observed a few Nevada Highway Patrol Officers in the area, but none of them
appeared to be taking any action to control the traffic or close down the lanes of traffic.

13. I then observed the suspects on horseback move back several yards from the fence and later
observed the Special Agent in Charge of Region 3, Dan Love, escorting an individual from the
area of the fence back toward the ICP.

14. A few moments later, I heard radio traffic ordering all BLM officers to move away from our
posts and move back to ICP. Once back at the ICP, all officers and agents were ordered by
incident commanders to pack all equipment and caravan together out of the ICP back to the
Holiday Inn Hotel in Mesquite, Nevada, for a further briefing. We were told by incident
commanders we must leave the trailers and other items which would be retrieved at a later date.

15. All BLM officers present left the ICP in a convoy. We crossed the southbound lane of 1-15
right outside of the gate at Post 1 and traveled in the northbound lanes toward Mesquite,
Nevada. I had to drive at a slow rate of speed due to the fact there were numerous protestors
lining both the shoulders of the I-15 northbound lanes. I observed numerous protestors were
armed with handguns holstered on their sides. I heard many of the protestors screaming
obscenities and gesturing wildly with their hands (to include many raising both hands and arms
with their middle fingers extended) at the BLM vehicles in the convoy. The crowd ofprotestors
appeared to be extremely agitated.

(Signature)
Jason A. Curry, Special Agent
Office of Law Enforcement and Security Region 2

SA Curry
This report is property of the Office of Law Enforcement and Security and is loaned to your agency; it and its contents may not
be reproduced without written permission. The report is FOR OFFICLALUSE ONLY and its dlac]osure to unauthorized persons is
prohibited. Public availability to be determined by 5 g. S. C. 552.

Dissemination Limited by Court Order

MNWR 0066441