Waldport, Oregon — A Lincoln County Sheriff’s deputy was deemed justified in the fatal shooting of a 38-year-old woman after she brandished an AK-47 rifle at him, a grand jury concluded. The incident, which occurred last month, involved Deputy Ben Cloud, a seasoned officer with 11 years of service, and Virginia Lee Morris, a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps residing in Waldport’s Township 13 neighborhood.
The heightened confrontation began on Nov. 10, when a distressed call from a neighbor led deputies to respond to Morris’s home. Over the course of the evening, escalating threats from Morris, including multiple 911 calls from her and concerned others, detailed her growing agitation and threats of violence, according to District Attorney Jenna Wallace.
The circumstances culminating in the shooting started with a 911 call from a neighbor reporting Morris’s alarming behavior and apparent threats towards her neighbors. Morris, in subsequent calls, both to authorities and a Veterans Crisis Line, indicated her possession of a loaded firearm and her willingness to use it.
On arriving at the scene just after sundown, Cloud stationed himself strategically and attempted to resolve the situation when Morris emerged with the weapon. Disobeying commands to disarm, Morris reportedly turned the rifle toward Cloud, prompting him to act in self-defense. Cloud discharged his weapon 13 times, ultimately leading to Morris’s collapse and subsequent death en route to a hospital.
The grand jury’s investigation, led by Wallace, drew on testimony from 11 witnesses and various forms of evidence including video footage, autopsy reports, and firearms analysis. This was Lincoln County’s third officer-involved shooting grand jury in as many months, highlighting a significant pattern in police responses.
The incident report noted Morris had fired her weapon multiple times before law enforcement arrived, a detail corroborated by neighbors who reported hearing gunfire. No one else was injured during the incident.
Veteran’s Crisis Line workers and 911 dispatch recordings depicted Morris as highly agitated and threatening lethal violence against her neighbors, who she accused of provocation and harassment. Alcohol consumption was noted, with Morris revealing she had been drinking in celebration of the U.S. Marine Corps birthday earlier that day.
Throughout the year leading up to the shooting, law enforcement had been called to Morris’s residence numerous times, reflecting ongoing concerns about her mental health and stability. Dispatch records indicated a history of distress calls including for welfare checks and reports of harassment.
Following the rigorous review, the grand jury found that Deputy Cloud reasonably feared for his life and that of others, determining no feasible or safer alternatives were available at the moment he chose to use deadly force.
This deadly interaction underscores the complex array of factors including mental health, law enforcement tactics, and civilian access to firearms that can converge in tragic outcomes.
While the findings provide legal closure to this particular case, they also illuminate the ongoing dialogue around police engagement and public safety.
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