An Iron County deputy arrested Ammon Bundy on Interstate 15 in southern Utah after a routine traffic stop escalated into a physical confrontation. The incident occurred on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, at approximately 8:18 a.m., near mile marker 43.
The deputy initiated the stop because Bundy’s 2020 Ford F-250 lacked a license plate. Bundy identified himself using an Idaho driver’s license and admitted to the officer that he had owned the truck for about two years but had not registered it. A records check confirmed that Bundy’s driver’s license was expired.
Because the vehicle lacked active registration, deputies requested a state tax impound. Bundy refused a lawful order to exit the vehicle. When officers repeated the command, Bundy grabbed the steering wheel with his right arm. Deputies physically removed him from the truck and placed him face down on the ground.
Bundy resisted handcuffing by keeping his arms tight to his body. He also refused to walk to the patrol vehicle, dragging his legs until deputies carried him. Officers provided a medical evaluation due to the physical force used during the arrest.
Bundy was booked into jail on four charges: failure to obey a peace officer, interfering with a peace officer, driving without registration, and operating a vehicle with an expired license. He was later released on bail.
Previous Legal Troubles
The arrest adds to a history of legal conflicts for Bundy, who previously led protests at the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge in Oregon and at St. Luke’s hospital in Boise. A judge increased Bundy’s debt to St. Luke’s Health to $60.2 million following those events.
Bundy also faces court proceedings regarding alleged fraudulent property transfers intended to evade a $26 million judgment. In 2022, police arrested Bundy at St. Luke’s Meridian Medical Center after he refused to leave the facility.