KNOWN FACTS – Chris Kalonji was shot and killed by a Clackamas County Sheriff’s Deputy on January 28, 2016. He was 19, a person of color and a persons with mental illness.
Parents say son killed in Oak Grove SWAT standoff was a ‘bright boy’ in ‘mental crisis’
The family of a 19-year-old killed in an officer-involved shooting at an Oak Grove apartment complex said they are eager for the official investigation to be complete.
Christopher Kalonji, 19, was having a mental health crisis and engaged officers in a standoff for hours at the Holly Acres Apartments on Southeast Concord Road in Oak Grove last Thursday.
The deputies involved in the shooting are on leave while the Clackamas County Major Crimes team investigates, which is standard procedure.
“My son had mental crisis, like breakdown,” his father, Tony Kalonji, read from a written statement. “He ask get medical help. After 911 was called, police came and my son was killed. I want to show people how does it look, our apartment and room where my son was killed and after police search.”
Tony Kalonji and his wife, Irene Kalonji, showed a FOX 12 crew around their apartment Tuesday afternoon.
Furniture was upturned and the door frame to their son’s bedroom is broken from where deputies used an explosive to breach the door.
A framed picture of Christopher Kalonji sat on a table in the kitchen.
“Our son was so bright boy. He loves life. He likes people. He likes to help people. He was so smart,” said his mother, Irene Kalonji.
Clackamas County deputies first responded at 7:35 a.m. Thursday to a report of a man armed with a rifle who had reportedly threatened family members.
Deputies determined he was having a mental health crisis and called for police negotiators and mental health personnel.
The Kalonjis said their son was having a breakdown and had access to family guns inside their apartment, but they said he would never have hurt them.
“We were not hostages and we were not threatened,” Irene Kalonji said.
Christopher Kalonji
The family left the apartment after law enforcement arrived.
A sheriff’s office spokesman said negotiators and staff from the Behavioral Health Unit initially had significant success communicating with Christopher Kalonji, providing him with a blanket and sending a sergeant to get him a burger and French fries after he requested the three items.
The SWAT team was also called in.
At one point, Christopher Kalonji was complying with orders and started to climb out of his window onto a ladder, but for unknown reasons went back into the apartment and grabbed the rifle, prompting deputies to fire at him, according to the sheriff’s office.
For the next four hours, a spokesman said the team continued trying to get Christopher Kalonji to communicate with them, but he would not comply with their orders.
They eventually made it inside the apartment.
Christopher Kalonji was transported to a hospital, where he died.
Plans for a funeral service are underway.
Teen shot at by police died from gunshot wound to chest, medical examiner says
Christopher Kalonji – age 13 or 14
Christopher Kalonji sustained a single wound following the encounter with deputies last Thursday at his Oak Grove apartment complex, said Dr. Larry Lewman. The manner of his death is still under investigation.
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office said Kalonji was having an apparent mental health crisis when deputies responded to his apartment in the morning. Members of the behavioral health and SWAT teams also arrived at the complex to assist.
At some point, deputies spotted Kalonji waving a rifle and shot at him, which led to him going inside his apartment and locking himself in one of the rooms, the sheriff’s office said. Deputies later threw tear gas into his second-floor unit and used an explosive charge on the front door to get inside.
Kalonji was taken to a hospital in the area eight hours after police first arrived. He died at the hospital.
Sgt. Tony Killinger, a 15-year member of the sheriff’s office, and Deputy Lon Steinhauer, a 21-year sheriff’s office veteran, have been placed on paid administrative leave for firing at Kalonji, according to the sheriff’s office. The leave is standard procedure for officer-involved shootings. It is not yet clear if either man hit Kalonji.
Oregon City officer Dan Shockley was injured after falling from a ladder while interacting with Kalonji, the sheriff’s office said. He is expected to survive.
The police investigation into the shooting of Kalonji could take several weeks to complete. An online donation page has been created in Kalonji’s name to raise money for funeral costs.
Man dies after suffering gunshot wounds in standoff with authorities in Milwaukie area
The 19-year-old man who engaged Clackamas County authorities in an hours-long standoff Thursday has died at a hospital, authorities say.
The man, whose name has not been released, was taken to a hospital with gunshot wounds earlier Thursday. The cause of his death will be released by the State Medical Examiner after an autopsy, the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.
Deputies responded to apartments in the 3700 block of Southeast Concord Road in the Milwaukie area at about 7:35 a.m. Thursday because of a report that the man had repeatedly threatened family members with a rifle.
Deputies determined that he was having a mental health crisis and called the county’s Behavioral Health Unit.
Members of the county’s SWAT team showed up as Behavioral Health Unit clinicians talked with the man over the phone for about 2-1/2 hours, said Clackamas County Detective Sgt. Dan Kraus, an agency spokesman.
The clinicians seemed to be making progress, but the man stopped cooperating and at one point posed a threat to police, Kraus said. Deputies then shot at him, the news release said. Kraus said Thursday afternoon police didn’t know whether the man also fired.
READ the remainder of Man dies after suffering gunshot wounds in standoff with authorities in Milwaukie area
Fatal police shooting investigation in Oak Grove could take weeks to complete, deputies say
An investigation into the fatal police shooting of a 19-year-old Oak Grove man who deputies say had a rifle and was going through a mental health crisis could take several weeks to complete, authorities say.
Two Clackamas County deputies are on paid administrative leave — standard procedure in an officer-involved shooting — following an eight-hour standoff Thursday with the man at an Oak Grove apartment complex, said Sgt. Dan Kraus, a sheriff’s spokesman. The man was pronounced dead at an area hospital.
The Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office on Friday confirmed the man’s identity as Christopher Kalonji. The agency did not release the results of his autopsy, which was conducted Friday.
The sheriff’s office has not yet publicly identified the deputies involved or the man killed. Kraus said the man’s immediate family had been notified and had asked the sheriff’s office to withhold releasing his name until relatives outside the United States could be notified.
READ the remainder of Fatal police shooting investigation in Oak Grove could take weeks to complete, deputies say
SWAT fires rounds into Milwaukie apartment
The suspect was taken to the hospital shortly before 4 p.m.
A 19-year-old suspect involved in a SWAT standoff Thursday died as a result of his injuries, deputies said.
Authorities, negotiators and behavioral health workers were at Holly Acres Apartments on the 3700 block of SE Concorde for hours, according to Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.
They were called to the scene around 7:30 a.m. on reports of a 19-year-old man armed with a rifle who had reportedly threatened family members.
Deputies quickly determined they were dealing with a mental health crisis, CCSO said.
SWAT team members reportedly fired at least 2 rounds into the apartment after the suspect brandished the rifle. He then retreated into the apartment and barricaded himself in one of the rooms, deputies said.
Authorities spent hours trying to get him to surrender. They reportedly deployed tear gas and charged a door in order to reach him.
The suspect was taken to the hospital shortly before 4 p.m.
He suffered gunshot wounds and later died at the hospital.
The investigation continues.
Teen shot in Clackamas Co. standoff dies
Authorities say a 19-year-old man taken into custody after deputies fired their weapons into a residence during a standoff has died.
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office says they responded to a call Thursday morning that a man with a rifle had threatened family members.
Deputies say they called mental health personnel. They and negotiators spoke to the man for over two hours and say at one point he brandished the rifle.
Deputies then fired at the man, who they say retreated, barricading himself in one of the rooms.
After deploying tear gas and using an explosive device to open the door, deputies say they took the man into custody.
Officials say he was taken to a hospital with gunshot wounds where he died.
The officers involved have been placed on paid leave while officials investigate.
The sheriff’s office said the investigation will take “several weeks” to complete.
The name of the man who died has not been released.
Chris Kalonji is on the right hand side in the picture below.
HELP – Pay Christopher Kalonji’s funeral costs
From Kalonji’s online memorial page –
“Christopher was an amazing human being. No words can fully describe the wonders of this young man, who’s life was taken away too soon. This money will go towards his funeral costs and damages done to the Kalonji household because the clackamas county police refuse to cover the costs of the damage they’ve done themselves. I only want to spread love and positivity for Christopher and his family right now. This is a tragic loss. Even if you do not have the funds to donate just spreading this and getting this out there would mean the world to me. Every little bit of effort counts. The world has lost an incredible young man.”
UPDATED: Officer-involved shooting during Jan. 28 SWAT standoff on SE Concord
UPDATE (Friday, Jan. 29, 2016, 4 p.m.) — INVESTIGATION CONTINUES; AUTOPSY CONDUCTED; DECEASED NAME WITHHELD AT FAMILY REQUEST
Detectives from the Clackamas County Major Crimes Team continue to investigate the officer-involved shooting that occurred yesterday (Thursday, Jan. 28) at the Holly Acres Apartments in Oak Grove. The investigation is expected to take several weeks to complete.
An autopsy was conducted today by the Oregon State Medical Examiner. We will release the Medical Examiner’s findings when they are completed and available.
However, we have been asked by the family to delay the release of this deceased’s identity so that they can complete notifications to relatives that live outside of the United States. We expect to be able to release the identity early next week.
Please reference CCSO Case # 16-2536.
EARLIER (Jan. 28, 7:30 p.m.)
The subject in today’s SWAT standoff has died at the hospital.
The name of the deceased will be released pending family notifications.
The State Medical Examiner will release cause of death following an autopsy.
The deputies involved in the shooting are now on paid administrative leave — which is standard practice following an officer-involved shooting.
The incident remains under investigation.
EARLIER (Thursday, Jan. 28, 5:05 p.m.)
At approximately 7:35 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2016, Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Patrol deputies responded to 3710 SE Concord. Dispatch had received a report of a 19-year-old man who was armed with a rifle — and had reportedly threatened family members with that rifle.
Deputies soon determined that the subject was in a mental-health crisis. They immediately called for mental health personnel from the Behavioral Health Unit, as well as police negotiators.
A conversation was initiated with the subject that went on for about two-and-a-half hours.
During this time, members of the Clackamas County Interagency Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) arrived and took over the scene.
The man eventually brandished the rifle, resulting in deputies firing at the man. The man retreated into the apartment, barricading himself in one of the rooms.
Deputies spent hours attempting to get the subject to surrender, including the deployment of tear gas and use of an explosive breaching charge on the door to reach the man.
At about 3:45 p.m. deputies were able to safely take the subject into custody.
His specific condition is unknown, but he is suffering from gunshot wounds. American Medical Response transported the subject to a local hospital.
The investigation has been turned over to the Clackamas County Major Crimes Team.
[END]
News-release archive
Contact Info:
Sergeant Dan Kraus
Office of Public Information
Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office
Police are not the hero we hired. They have become cowards and murderers.
Rip lil brother
Rest in Power Christopher. We will never forget you and we will carry your real story forward. Your friends and family know the real you, funny, full of energy, intelligent, loving welcoming and seeker of justice. The narrative in these mainstream media stories is truly suspect. Just to correct the stories above: The family, they did not leave the house because they wanted to but they were forced to leave by police. This was a boy, 19 years old not a full grown man. They shot and killed a young person who was scared and suffering. The authorities would not let family help in the deescalation. Also that the guy who fell off a ladder and sustained an injury did so because the police/SWAT failed to inform their own officer they were about to fire in his direction and he leapt from the ladder to get out of the line of fire. The police/SWAT participated in executing Christopher in his own home that day. No shots were fired by Christopher, forensics showed no guns in the home were fired. SWAT should never be sent to a mental health crisis, especially of a teenager, EVER.