Police shoot, kill suspect after car chase near Salem; Deputy, 2nd suspect injured

POLK COUNTY, Ore. (KPTV) - A person was shot dead by law enforcement officers early Saturday after police say a man led them on a car chase and then fired his gun, according to Oregon State Police.

At about 1:30 a.m., an officer with the Independence Police Department tried to pull over a vehicle in a traffic stop. According to OSP, the vehicle took off.

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After the fleeing vehicle hit spike strips set up by deputies with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, the driver ran away on foot. He was found by deputies and “law enforcement officers” as he was being picked up by a second vehicle on Highway 22 near milepost 23, just west of Salem.

At that point, “the suspect opened fire on responding officers,” OSP said. A Polk County deputy was hit and injured, and “law enforcement officers discharged their weapons in response.”

One suspect was shot and killed, another was injured, and the “original suspect” was arrested. OSP did not clarify if the “original suspect” was also the injured suspect. No further information about the suspects involved with the shooting was released.

The deputy is in stable condition and is expected to survive.

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Highway 22 was closed for several hours on Saturday for the investigation. Oregon State Police is investigating the officer involved shooting at the request of the Polk County District Attorney’s Office.

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