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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Funding will help close gap in Greenway trail ... Utility work will cut power for areas south and east of Ashland ... Douglas County DA: UCC gunman killed himself after police shot him ... Funding will help close gap in Greenway trail ... Utility work will cut power for areas south and east of Ashland ... Douglas County DA: UCC gunman killed himself after police shot him ... JOSEPHINE COUNTY Oath Keepers respond to perceived threat Helicopter proved to be privately operated Comment MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 30, 2015 at 5:54 PM Posted Apr. 30, 2015 at 5:54 PM » Social News Local report The arrival of a helicopter near the Sugar Pine Mine Thursday in Josephine County prompted an alert that a federal raid was under way and a callout for members of the Oath Keepers organization, according to Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel. But the report was a false alarm, Daniel told the Grants Pass Daily Courier, and the helicopter was operated by a private individual or company. However, Daniel said, reports that the Oath Keepers group had issued a coded callout were true. Volunteers associated with the Oath Keepers, a national movement of people claiming to be former and current military law enforcement personnel sworn to disobey "unconstitutional" orders, have gathered near the mine outside of Merlin since last week at the request of the mine's owners, George Backes and Rick Barclay. Backes and Barclay say the U.S. Bureau of Land Management is infringing on their rights by ordering them to file a plan of operations or remove their equipment from the claim. Daniel told the Daily Courier the episode was the type of incident he feared could lead to violence ever since Oath Keepers issued a national callout earlier this month for the security operation. “I want everybody to understand that things like this are dangerous,” he said, adding, “You never know what could happen in an accident.” Oath Keepers spokeswoman Mary Emerick confirmed there was an “incident,” but said little else. “We did have an incident. ... We responded to the mine,” she told the Daily Courier, adding, “It is currently secure ... and we are investigating.” An Oath Keepers website reported on the incident, referring to it as "a perceived threat" and saying that " Our quick response teams responded." The website reported that a private helicopter had landed on mine property "multiple times without permission" and that local Oath Keepers member Joseph Rice had requested to speak with the pilot. MailTribune.com Writer Posted Apr. 30, 2015 at 5:54 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501