Lane County District Attorney Patty Perlow has ruled a recent shooting by an Oregon State Police Trooper during a Eugene traffic stop to be a justified use of deadly force.
The shooting happened on the afternoon of June 11 on the River Avenue off-ramp from Beltline Highway.
According to the Lane County Inter Agency Deadly Force Investigation, OSP Trooper Jonathan Padgett pulled over Timothy Edward Wells, age 42. The reason for the initial traffic stop has not been publicly released.
Once stopped, as shown in the trooper’s body cam footage, Wells left his vehicle, grabbed a gun and pointed it at Padgett. The DA’s report says Padgett shot him with a taser. But, Wells recovered and again pointed his gun at the trooper. Padgett shot him repeatedly, a total of eleven times.
Other officers arrived, tried to revive Wells and then declared him deceased. His gun was a 9 mm, so-called “ghost gun” without a serial number. It was not loaded, though a Glock magazine was also found on Wells.
Wells’ toxicology report showed methamphetamine, fentanyl, and THC. He died of gunshot wounds, according to the DA's report.
Perlow ruled the shooting was in self-defense.
