Lincoln City, Ore. — A grand jury in Lincoln County recently ruled the use of deadly force by three local police officers as justified in the October shooting death of a 36-year-old Woodburn man, Francisco Campos, during an incident at a Motel 6. Officials from the Lincoln County District Attorney’s office confirmed the decision earlier this month.
The incident began shortly after noon on October 19 when a motel employee reported a confrontation involving Campos and a young woman who were both staying as guests. According to authorities, a dispute between the two escalated, capturing the attention of the motel staff with audible disturbances, including a loud slap and shouts from a woman.
Given the serious nature of the allegations, the Motel 6 staff decided to evict Campos and the woman, giving them 15 minutes to vacate the premises. Upon arrival, four Lincoln City Police officers were informed of an existing felony parole warrant for Campos. The situation intensified when, during the eviction process, Campos engaged in a heated argument with a motel employee and appeared to become physically confrontational.
According to official reports, when Campos adopted an aggressive stance and reached toward his hip, Officer Cody Snidow made the decision to draw his firearm as a preemptive measure. Officers Jaylan King and Joshua Lane quickly backed up Snidow. Despite repeated commands from the officers for Campos to reveal his hands and not to reach for a weapon, he allegedly ignored these commands and instead challenged the officers to shoot him. Campos reportedly then exposed two firearms tucked into his waistband, further escalating the threat level.
When Campos purportedly reached for the weapons, Officers Snidow, King, and Lane discharged their firearms, ultimately striking Campos, who was later pronounced dead upon arrival at a nearby hospital. It was determined by investigators that a total of 15 shots were fired by the three officers combined.
The in-depth investigation by the Lincoln County Major Crime Team noted that Campos not only confronted police with lethal intent but was also under investigation in a separate case. Prior to this event, Campos was suspected of armed robbery at the Washington Square Mall in Portland, where he allegedly used a hatchet to smash jewelry cases. The hatchet and a vehicle reported stolen and linked to Campos were recovered at the scene.
On November 19, the grand jury concluded that no other safe or viable options were available at the time of the shooting. The ruling reinforced that the officers’ response was within legal bounds given the circumstances they faced.
Campos was reportedly facing multiple charges, including unlawful possession of methamphetamine and second-degree theft, complications that underscored the complexity of his engagements with law enforcement.
This tragic event continues to underline the challenges and split-second decisions law enforcement officers face in their duty to protect public safety under intensely perilous conditions.
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