THE DALLES, Ore. — A person was shot by law enforcement officers after the person rammed a police car and continued to direct their truck at officers and deputies in The Dalles early Tuesday morning, police reported. No officers or deputies involved in the incident were injured.
The name of the person who died and any officers or deputies involved in the shooting will be named later, The Dalles Police Department said.
At 1:41 a.m., Wasco County Sheriff's Office deputies noticed a large tow truck dragging a cable in the Home Depot parking lot on West 6th Street in The Dalles. Deputies said the driver was acting suspiciously and attempted to stop the driver, who took off and led deputies and police officers on a short chase that ended at the Astro gas station on West 6th Street.
The driver tried to ram law enforcement vehicles, police said. After a police car was rammed and pushed up onto an embankment, officers and deputies fired at the driver, who ignored commands from law enforcement and continued to direct the truck at officers, according to police.
The driver was hit by gunfire, given medical aid at the scene by first responders and taken to a hospital, where they died.
"The officers on scene feared for their safety and the safety of their colleagues on scene and made the decision to fire ... It appeared to the officers and deputies that the suspect was not using the vehicle to get away but to ram and cause damage to their patrol cars and them, and that’s part of the reason they chose to fire," explained the Dalles police chief Tom Worthy.
Levi, who is experiencing homelessness in the Dalles, told KGW it was his friend, also homeless, who died in the shooting.
"He's lived in town forever. He was kind of like a dad for all of us hooligans that run around here... He’s one of the few friends I had out here," Levi said, fighting back tears.
Levi said the man stole the tow truck to free his van he had crashed down by the river.
"Me and my girlfriend figured he’d come back because he just stormed away, and yeah, he never did obviously because he got killed," Levi said.
"He lived in his van, so obviously, that’s why he was so adamant about recovering it because that was not just his car but his place to live," added Levi's friend, Christopher, who is also homeless and friends with the man who died.
The Dalles Police Department said two deputies and one police officer fired their guns.
"It seems a little bit like overkill," said Levi.
"The guy probably didn’t have to die over it," added David Wilson, who works security at the Dalles Auto Sales.
West 6th Street was closed for about 15 hours during the investigation.
Other agencies that arrived to assist included Oregon State Police, the Hood River Sheriff's Department and the Hood River City Police Department. The Wasco County district attorney has been briefed by the lead detective.
About an hour after the shooting, police received a report from a business in The Dalles that the involved tow truck had been stolen, and a gate was rammed by the driver as they stole the truck from the business. The Dalles police is investigating that report.
Police said there is no further threat to the public.
"I recognize the impacts of an event like this on our community," Dalles Police Chief Tom Worthy said in a statement posted to the department's Facebook page. "Please allow detectives the time that they need to carefully investigate and accurately document this shooting incident. The Dalles Police is committed to transparency and more information will be released when the time is appropriate. We appreciate all of the concern from the community and the assistance of our partners."
Police said the Wasco County Senate Bill 111 Deadly Physical Force Response Plan, which dictates Oregon law enforcement's response and obligations in incidents of deadly force by law enforcement officers, has been initiated and is being carefully followed.