From the East Oregonian, September 21, 2011

Umatilla County District Attorney Dan Primus said Tuesday he expects today to release the identities of the men involved in police shooting Monday evening in Pendleton.

UMATILLA CO. DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE NEWS RELEASE

The name of the suspect in the officer-involved shooting on Monday is Mark McMillan, 49. The Pendleton Police Officer is Erik Palmer, 33.

The Umatilla/Morrow Major Crimes Team, lead by the Oregon State Police in cooperation with the Umatilla County District Attorney’s Office is continuing to investigate.

Further information will be released when it is available.

Until then, Primus said he could only reveal the officer is 33 years old and has been with the department five years, and the suspect is a 49-year-old man from the Pendleton area.

The Pendleton officer shot the man Monday night after he pointed a gun at police, Primus said previously.

Pendleton police received a call at 7:12 p.m. about a distraught man, possibly suicidal and armed in the southeast section of town near the Umatilla River levee. Primus said police encountered a man in a pickup in the 500 block of Southeast Byers Avenue.

As the officer approached the pickup, the occupant reportedly pointed a handgun at the officer, Primus said.

The officer then fired multiple rounds, striking the man multiple times.

Pendleton emergency services personnel took the man to St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton. From there, Primus said, an air ambulance flew him to Oregon Health & Sciences University in Portland.

“The male’s medical condition is not known at this time,” Primus said. “The officer was uninjured.”

The Pendleton police log from that night names a possible suspect. An OHSU spokesman could not confirm that man was at the hospital.

The officer is on paid administrative leave, and Oregon State Police is leading the investigation.

The last officer-involved shooting in Pendleton happened June 26, 2008, at The Face & Body Place in downtown Pendleton. Pendleton Police Officer Erik Palmer fired the shot that killed Deveron Schreiner, 38, of La Grande.

Schreiner had stolen an SUV and was suicidal and armed with a stolen semi-automatic handgun. He drove to the tanning salon around 9 that morning because he was friends with the business owner. Investigators said Schreiner had indicated he would kill himself or someone else, and he pointed the gun at police when they found him.

A grand jury cleared the officer and found the shooting was justified.

PENDLETON POLICE DEPT. NEWS RELEASE — At 7:12 p.m., September 19, 2011, the Umatilla County City/County Dispatch

Center received a call concerning a distraught male subject who was believed to be in the City of Pendleton. The caller related that they believed the male to be armed, and possibly suicidal. Finally, the caller speculated that the subject might be on or near the southeast portion of the River Parkway. The Pendleton Police Offices who responded to the call for service had just begun searching east/west from Stillman Park when one of the officers located a pickup belonging to the aforementioned male parked in the 500 block of SE Byers Avenue, Pendleton.

As the officer approached the pickup, he discovered it was occupied by an adult male. Before the officer was able to establish a dialogue with the occupant, the occupant reportedly pointed a handgun at the officer. The officer responded by firing multiple rounds from his duty pistol. The occupant was struck multiple times before additional officers arrived on scene to render aid. Pendleton Fire/EMS personnel transported the injured male to St. Anthony’s Hospital where he was stabilized before being flown to Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland, Oregon. The male’s medical condition is not known at this time. The officer was uninjured. The names of the involved officer and injured party are not being released at this time.

The Umatilla/Morrow Major Crimes Team is investigating the shooting. The Oregon State Police in cooperation with the Umatilla County District Attorney’s Office is leading the investigation. The Umatilla/Morrow Major Crimes Team is an inter-agency team of investigators from law enforcement agencies in the two counties.

Per Pendleton Police Departmental policy and Umatilla County Deadly Physical Force protocols, the involved officer has been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation.

Any further inquiry into the facts/circumstances of the described incident shall be referred to the Umatilla County District Attorney’s Office. The Pendleton Police Department will not be releasing any additional information.

ADDITIONAL RELEASE:

The Umatilla/Morrow Major Crimes Team, lead by the Oregon State Police in cooperation with the Umatilla County District Attorney’s Office is continuing to investigate the officer involved shooting from yesterday (Monday) evening.

Detectives have determined that the suspect in this matter is a 49 year old male from the Pendleton area. The officer involved is a 33 year old male who has served with the Pendleton Police Department as a patrol officer for five years.

Pending appropriate notifications the suspect and officers name will be released tomorrow (Wednesday).