Oregon trooper justified in use of deadly force on I-5 outside Salem, jury says

By KPTV Staff

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    SALEM Oregon (KPTV) — A Marion County grand jury unanimously determined that lethal force was lawful nine days after an Oregon State Police trooper shot and killed a carjacking suspect on Interstate 5 outside Salem.

The grand jury heard testimony from 12 witnesses, autopsy results, and video and images from the scene. The Salem Police Department conducted the investigation, which shut down two miles of the interstate for ten hours on the day of the shooting, April 10.

Trooper Andrew Tuttle pulled over just before 9 a.m. that day while travelling northbound on I-5 after noticing a stalled semi-trailer truck. He saw its driver being held up at gunpoint at the time, he said.

The trooper’s body camera and the dashboard camera in his police cruiser recorded the entire exchange.

Tuttle noticed a man on the road with a gun as he approached the semi-trailer, subsequently identified as 31-year-old Felipe Amezcua Manzo. Tuttle claimed Manzo was attempting to pry open the truck’s passenger door and looked to point the gun at the truck driver as well as the driver of a nearby SUV who had pulled over.

When Manzo saw Tuttle, he started running east toward a CarMax lot next to I-5.

According to Tuttle’s account of the incident, as he stepped out of the car, he activated his patrol car’s lights and sirens and pulled out his handgun.

According to the video from Tuttle’s body-worn camera, Manzo raced to the highway’s grass shoulder and down into a ditch. The trooper yelled at the suspect to “get on the ground” at least six times, according to the footage, but the man ignored the orders and continued to move away from the officer.

Tuttle chased him into the ditch. Manzo then turned back, aimed his gun at the Oregon State Police trooper, and began firing. Tuttle fired back.

Several gunshots can be heard in the video.

The trooper later told investigators that he felt something hit his left arm and began climbing the incline to the side of I-5 to seek cover from the gunshots.

Tuttle continued to shoot unloading the remaining shots in his gun as he retreated toward his patrol car to reload.

He then noticed Manzo shooting at him and firing again. He spotted a “blue light or laser” coming from Manzo’s rifle this time. Tuttle claimed that it temporarily blinded him. “Get on the ground!” he ordered three times more.

Tuttle fired back, but Manzo continued to move at him, he said.

The trooper reloaded a third time from behind his police car and fired at least ten more times at the subject.

Tuttle stated that Manzo had fallen on the grass. This is not evident on the body camera footage.

Tuttle called dispatch for the first time since the shootout began, reporting “shots fired” and that the suspect was down.

The video shows that other officers arrived on the scene less than a minute later. Tuttle was examined by an Oregon State Police trooper for any injuries. Tuttle suffered a minor scrape on his left arm that did not need medical treatment. According to the Marion County District Attorney’s office, which issued a news release regarding the grand-jury conclusions Wednesday evening, it’s unclear if he was grazed by a bullet or injured when he fell in the ditch.

According to the investigation, Manzo was shot in the chest, back, and head. Officers on the scene attempted to help him, but he was pronounced dead.

Manzo died as a result of six gunshot wounds, according to an autopsy.

According to authorities, a gun with a laser sight and a blue light was discovered near Manzo’s body. At the scene, police also discovered a “vehicle associated” with Manzo.

According to the inquiry, Tuttle fired 47 shots and Manzo fired 13 shots during the confrontation.

Prior to the confrontation with Tuttle, a camera mounted on the semi-truck captured Manzo aiming his rifle at multiple automobiles on the freeway.

Manzo had at least six prior felony convictions in Oregon and California dating back to 2010, including second-degree robbery, third and fourth-degree assault, and driving while intoxicated.

According to the Marion County District Attorney’s office, the grand jury was not made aware of his criminal history.

Tuttle used lethal force to defend himself and others after Manzo committed or attempted to conduct a violent criminal, according to the grand jury. The jury concluded that once Manzo failed to comply with the trooper’s directions, no other options, such as verbal de-escalation, were available under the circumstances.

Seven individuals have been killed by Oregon State Police troopers since 2019.

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