A deputy from the Lane County Sheriff’s Office fatally shot a 59-year-old man Monday after responding to reports of a physical altercation near Springfield, authorities said.
The man was killed when he allegedly pointed a weapon at law enforcement, according to the sheriff’s office. The suspect has been identified as Robert Gutierrez, according to The Register-Guard.
Lane County Deputies responded to several calls from family members reporting that Gutierrez had assaulted another family member before 10 p.m., according to a press release by Lane County Sgt. Thomas Speldrich.
Deputy Tyler Speldrich said that when deputies arrived, Gutierrez had already fired a weapon, making other people feel unable to safely leave their homes.
Deputies arrived on the scene and tried to contact Gutierrez and de-escalate the scenario, according to Speldrich. He responded with profanity before brandishing his weapon at deputies, he said.
After Gutierrez pointed his weapon, another officer fired multiple shots.
None of the deputies were hurt.
The deputy who killed Gutierrez has been placed on paid administrative leave, as is standard in cases involving deadly force. The Lane County Interagency Deadly Force Investigation team is looking into it.
The investigation team will release information such as the deputy’s name, how many shots were fired and where Gutierrez was hit through the Lane County District Attorney’s office, according to Speldrich.
