The Coos County DA says officers were justified in fatally shooting 37-year-old Matthew Tyler Michel on June 14th.
Michel was a suspect in the homicide of Coos Bay resident Amber Townsend, who was found shot to death three days earlier.
Six law enforcement officers came to the Global Inn, where Michel was staying. He’d already failed to report to his probation officer. After some resistance at the door, Michel ran back into his room and despite officers’ orders not to touch a sheathed knife on his bed, grabbed it and moved towards one of the officers. A detective and police sergeant both shot Michel, and he was declared dead at Bay Area Hospital.
District Attorney Paul Frasier says after reviewing police reports and body cam footage, officers couldn’t see that the knife was sheathed and believed Michel posed a deadly threat.
Further investigation shows Michel once shared a trailer with Townsend and her boyfriend. Investigators are still seeking tips on the murder case.
Frasier's release and summary can be found here.
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