May 11--A Multnomah County grand jury found no criminal wrongdoing by members of Washington County's Tactical Negotiation Team in their March 13 shooting of Adalberto Flores-Haro at New Columbia in Portland.
Hillsboro Officer Steven Slade, an 11-year member of that department; and Washington County sheriff's deputies John Egg, a 14-year member of the sheriff's office, and Brian McLeod, a 12-year member of the sheriff's office, fired shots at Flores-Haro, as they were assisting Portland police in the service of a search warrant two doors down from Flores-Haro's residence.
Flores-Haro had emerged from his front door holding a handgun because he thought intruders were on his property after his wife had checked on their barking dog in their backyard and saw a stranger in dark clothing, his stepson told The Oregonian the morning after the shooting.
The Multnomah County District Attorney's office released a statement today, saying the Portland Police Bureau is continuing an investigation into whether Flores-Haro should face any criminal charges.
"To see him being a target or subject of further investigation is sort of outrageous," said Flores-Haro's attorney Michael Rose.
Flores-Haro, according to his family, was shot three times -- once in the forearm, and twice in the torso.
"Mr. Flores-Haro was wounded after confronting members of the team assisting the Portland Police Bureau in the service of a search warrant unrelated to Mr. Flores-Haro at the New Columbia housing development in North Portland on March 13, 2012," said the statement from the district attorney's office.
Flores-Haro's stepson, Daniel Ibarra, 17 told The Oregonian that Flores-Haro did not know that the men surrounding his home in the 9500 block of N. Woolsey Avenue were authorities approaching to raid a home two doors away from his home.
Portland police have said members of the Washington County Tactical Negotiations Team were assisting Portland's Gang Enforcement Team and were approaching the home they intended to raid with a search warrant when Flores-Haro came out of his house holding a gun. Police said the three officers repeatedly identified themselves as law enforcement.
The District Attorney's office said no transcripts of the grand jury proceeding in the officer-involved shooting would be released "because this is not a death investigation," and due to the possibility of pending charges against Flores-Haro.
--Maxine Bernstein
Copyright 2012 - The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.
