OREGON \u2013 A Marion County Grand Jury ruled that three state troopers and a deputy were justified in shooting and killing an armed robbery suspect\u00a0after a chase along Highway 22 earlier this month.<\/p>\n
The law enforcement officers fatally shot 27-year-old Brad Masters on December 8.<\/p>\n
Masters was accused of robbing both a Dutch Brothers and a Dominoes location in Bend, Oregon at gunpoint before stealing a car from one of the pizza shop employees, the Marion County District Attorney\u2019s Office said.<\/p>\n
The Deschutes County Sheriff\u2019s Office pursued Masters, who sped off west along Highway 22 toward the Santiam Pass. They called off the chase near Suttle Lake, but issued a \u201cBe On the Look Out\u201d (BOLO) for other nearby law enforcement.<\/p>\n
Linn County Sheriff\u2019s Deputy Brandon Rathelegurche heard the BOLO, set up at a curve in the road and waited for Masters with a spike strip. Masters reportedly drove over the spike strip, but it also flattened the tires of a pursuing Marion County deputy\u2019s vehicle. That deputy was unhurt, and Dep. Rathelegurche picked up the pursuit.<\/p>\n
Oregon State Police troopers Caleb Yoder, Michael Iacob, Joseph Sousa also heard the BOLO and waited for the suspect at Big Cliff Dam. They deployed another spike strip, which Masters again drove over. He continued to drive on the vehicle\u2019s rims, which slowed him down considerably.<\/p>\n
All four pursuing law enforcement officers formed a \u2018diamond pattern\u2019 around his vehicle with their patrol cars, the district attorney\u2019s office said, and ordered him to stop over a loudspeaker.<\/p>\n
Masters eventually stopped several miles east of the town of Gates, got out of his car, walked to the center of the road, and ignored commands from police.<\/p>\n
He ignored law enforcement\u2019s commands to \u201cput your hands up!\u201d Instead, he raised both hands in a shooter stance towards the officers, and then bladed his body, dropping one arm while firing at the officers.<\/p>\n
All four officers returned fire, shooting a combined 16 rounds. Masters was hit three times and pronounced dead at the scene. None of the officers were injured.<\/p>\n
Salem police later confirmed that Masters had a BB pellet gun.<\/p>\n
A toxicology report from the Oregon State Deputy Medical Examiner found he had amphetamines and cocaine in his system.<\/p>\n
A grand jury in Marion County unanimously found the law enforcement officers were justified in the deadly use of force, specifically based on four things, the district attorney\u2019s office said.<\/p>\n
OREGON \u2013 A Marion County Grand Jury ruled that three state troopers and a deputy were justified in shooting and killing an armed robbery suspect\u00a0after a chase along Highway 22 earlier this month. The law enforcement officers fatally shot 27-year-old Brad Masters on December 8. Masters was accused of robbing both a Dutch Brothers and a Dominoes location in Bend, Oregon at gunpoint before stealing a car from one of the pizza shop employees, the Marion County District Attorney\u2019s Office said. The Deschutes County Sheriff\u2019s Office pursued Masters, who sped off west along Highway 22 toward the Santiam Pass. They […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3437,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n