Family Defends Christian Militia Group, Says Hutaree Did Nothing Wrong
March 30, 2010— -- The fiancee of one of the members of a Christian extremist group arrested this week in a federal raid defended the Hutaree, saying that if group members had had plans for violence, "they would have done it already."
The last of the nine Hutaree members indicted in an alleged plot to kill law enforcement officers with improvised explosive devices was arrested late Monday. The Michigan-based militia group had been preparing its alleged attack for months and was getting ready to move, authorities say.
But Brittany Bryant, who is engaged to David Stone Jr., son of the Hutaree's leader and one of the members arrested in the sweep, said federal officials got it wrong.
"I don't think they're dangerous," Bryant said. "They're not doing anything wrong. They're doing what they want to do.
"If they wanted to do something," she said, "they would have done it already."
According to court documents, however, the Hutaree, led by David Stone, had spent months researching explosives on the Internet and gathering supplies for an elaborate plan in which the group allegedly planned to kill an unidentified law enforcement officer and then ambush the officer's colleagues at the funeral.
Stone's former wife, Donna Stone, said he has "got a temper.
"He can get radical and he wants things done his way," she said. "One way or the other, they will get done his way is the way he looks at everything."
Federal authorities rounded up eight Hutaree members in a three-state raid Sunday and nabbed fugitive Joshua Matthew Stone, 21, Monday after a standoff in which authorities played messages from his family over a loudspeaker.
Michigan Militia volunteer Matt Savino told "Good Morning America" that Joshua Stone was trying to regroup after having left his supplies when he fled Sunday's raid.
"Essentially, his words were he's looking for a place to go to hide out to set up some kind of defensive organization," Savino said, "and look for weapons, gear, supplies and whatnot because all of his supplies were at their home that was being raided by the ATF."
Also in custody are David Stone's wife, Tina Stone, 44, and his son, David Brian Stone Jr., 19, of Adrian, Mich., as well as Joshua Clough, 28, of Blissfield, Mich., Michael Meeks, 40, of Manchester, Mich., Thomas Piatek, 46, of Whiting, Ind., Krisopher Sickles, 27, of Sandusky, Ohio, and Jacob Ward, 33, of Huron, Ohio.
Based in Lenawee County, Mich., the Hutaree is described by officials as an extremist group. Its Web site says the name means "warriors of God" and claims it is preparing to defend itself for the impending arrival of the anti-Christ.
Most of the Hutaree members arrested had aliases, such as "Pale Horse," "Azzurlin" and "Guhighllo." David Stone's listed aliases were "RD," "Stonewall" and "Captain Hutaree."
