From KATU.com 5 2 2009
From KATU.com 5 3 2009
From KATU.com, June 3 2009
Although a man was shot by police and died from a bullet wound to the chest, the state medical examiner has ruled his death a suicide because he had cut his own wrists.
The shooting happened Tuesday at the Northridge Condominiums, located at 12600 S.E. Freeman Way, in Milwaukie, Oregon.
According to police, when officers responded to the complex on a welfare call, they found a man bleeding and holding a knife. Police said when the officers ordered the man to freeze, he didn’t, causing them to open fire.
Some neighbors said the man never had a knife but the Milwaukie Police Department stands by their account of what happened.
“The officers will be interviewed today,” said Kevin Krebs with the Milwaukie Police Department. “Investigators will talk to them and get their side of the events that occurred yesterday.”
The man shot by police lived at the apartment complex and has been identified as 22-year-old Jesse Aaron Weatherford.
The officers involved in the shooting were Sgt. Tom Broomfield, a 15-year veteran of the Milwaukie Police Department, and Officer Luke Strait, a 14-year veteran of the department. Both are currently on paid administrative leave.
The case is being investigated by the Clackamas County Inter Agency Major Crimes Team. Police said they are cooperating with the investigation and are awaiting a Grand Jury’s review.
Here are the basic understood facts of the case as presented in the media
1. Jesse Aaron Weatherford moved from Dallas, Oregon to Milwaukie, Oregon with his mother Alice recently.
2. Neighbors describe Jesse as “despondent.”
3. Someone contacted the Milwaukie police in the late afternoon of June 2 asking them to make a “welfare call” on Jesse. This is a police code word often used to describe that a person is acutely mentally ill and needs police intervention to get to hospital, and that no crime has been committed.
4. Jesse cut his wrists and appeared before officers in the Northridge Condominiums parking lot.
5. Police say Jesse had a “big” knife and did not respond to verbal commands.
6. Witnesses say Jesse did not have a knife.
7. Two police officers, Sgt. Tom Broomfield and Officer Luke Strait, shot and killed Jesse.
8. Both officers were put on administrative leave.
9. Medical Examiner Larry Lewman rules Jesse’s death a suicide, stating Jesse’s self-inflicted injuries were fatal.
9. Police investigators, probably homicide detectives from Portland, interviewed the officers on June 3.
10. Alice Weatherford hired Daniel C Lorenz to represent Jesse’s interests.
11. In 2008 Clackamas County adopted a Plan for Response to Deadly Force Incidents by Clackamas County Law Enforcement Agencies, as per Senate Bill 111.
READ – Man’s death ruled suicide, even though he was shot by officers, KATU.com, June 2 2009
READ – Milwaukie man’s death ruled suicide, KGW.com. LINK to video. , June 2 2009
READ – Police shooting death ruled suicide, KOIN.com, June 3 2009
READ – Officer Shoots, Kills Man In Milwaukie, KPTV.com, June 3 2009
READ – Milwaukie Police Involved In Fatal Shooting, OPB.org, June 3 2009
READ – Police release name of victim, officers involved in shooting death, Pamplin Media, June 3 2009
READ – Update: Milwaukie death called suicide by cop, Oregonian June 4 2009