Grand jury clears Polk County deputy in deadly shooting, indicts suspect
A grand jury unanimously ruled that the use of deadly force in a September officer-involved shooting was justified by returning a not true bill, the Polk County District Attorney's Office announced on Friday morning.The jury determined that "no criminal prosecution was warranted" against Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Smith, and that the use of deadly force was a lawful act of self-defense, according to the Polk County District Attorney's Office.
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- A grand jury unanimously ruled that the use of deadly force in a September officer-involved shooting was justified by returning a not true bill, the Polk County District Attorney's Office announced on Friday morning.
The jury determined that "no criminal prosecution was warranted" against Polk County Sheriff’s Deputy Michael Smith, and that the use of deadly force was a lawful act of self-defense in the incident on Sept. 30 that killed 18-year-old Isaac Ivan Oceguedo and injured 21-year-old Salem resident Jose Manuel Corral-Zavala and a 17-year-old girl, officials said.
The incident happened on Highway 22, just west of Salem, when an officer with Independence police attempted a traffic stop, Oregon State Police said, adding that the driver took off and only ended when police used spike strips to disable the car.
The suspect ran and officers rushed to the scene and spotted the suspect as he tried to get away in another vehicle, authorities said. The suspect opened fire and wounded Deputy Smith. Then Smith and other officers fired their weapons, authorities say, killing one suspect and injuring another.
The grand jury heard testimonies from the Oregon State Police, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Salem Police Department, Independence Police Department office, State Medical Examiner’s Office and "several citizen witnesses," the district attorney's office said.
After reviewing the evidence, the grand jury indicted Corral-Zavala on eight counts of attempted aggravated murder against the responding law enforcement officers, including the attempted murder of Deputy Smith
Corral-Zavala is scheduled for arraignment on Monday, Oct. 23.