Security officer shoots man at S. Oregon VA clinic
(Update: More comments from Bend veteran at clinic)
SALEM, Ore. (AP) — A man said to be a military veteran who was seeking mental health care was shot by a security officer at a Veterans Affairs clinic in southern Oregon on Thursday after he allegedly brandished a knife.
The man was taken to a hospital after the shooting in the southwestern community of White City, near Medford, local media reports said. Officials with the VA clinic and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office did not return telephone messages seeking comment.
Shawn Quall, an Army veteran of the first Gulf War who is from Bend, said he heard the man shouting before the situation escalated.
“I was walking down the main hallway when I overheard a veteran yelling at intake people that he was here for the fifth time trying to get health care, and was upset at what he thought was a runaround,” Quall told The Associated Press in a telephone interview. “Often you hear guys yelling. It’s dealing with the federal government, and it is frustrating at times.”
Quall kept walking down the hall, but when the yelling get louder, he started running back and said heard someone yell: “He’s got a knife!”
“Then boom, a loud shot. I saw the guy holding his stomach and then fall to the ground,” Quall said. The police officer told onlookers to leave, saying there was nothing to see.
Veterans at the clinic who are receiving treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and other issues expressed shock about the shooting.
Outpatient Joel Setzer, a U.S. Army veteran who also served in Operation Desert Storm in the Gulf, said “this is the type of incident that should have never happened out there.”
The VA Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center & Clinics says on its web site that it “offers a variety of health services to meet the needs of our nation’s Veterans.”
The center’s police said they would not comment on the shooting and referred a reporter to a spokeswoman, who did not return several calls.
Quall contacted NewsChannel 21 shortly after the incident and wrote, “150 to 200 residents live here and things are getting very tense.”
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News release from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office
WHITE CITY, Ore. — Detectives are investigating an officer-involved shooting in White City. The incident occurred Thursday morning at the Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center & Clinics (SORCC), a Veterans Affairs health care facility.
On January 25, 2018, at 8:29 am, VA Police dispatch called 911 for assistance after an officer involved shooting. Jackson County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrived on scene within minutes.
Deputies learned VA Police were called to Building 201 after reports of a combative patient in the admissions area. An altercation ensued between the man and VA Police officers, resulting in the discharge of a firearm.
Mercy Flights transported the man to Rogue Regional Medical Center with a gunshot wound. His injuries do not appear to be life threatening. No other injuries were reported. Nearby facilities went into lock-down until deputies determined the situation posed no public threat.
The Jackson County Major Assault and Death Investigation Unit (MADIU) responded to the scene; the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office is the lead agency. Personnel from the following agencies are assisting: Oregon State Police, Medford Police Department, Ashland Police Department, Jackson County District Attorney’s Office.
Investigators have identified the injured subject. His name, as well as the names of the involved officers will not be released at this time.
Detectives would like to hear from anyone who saw or heard the incident at SORCC. Those who have not yet provided a statement to detectives can call the JCSO tip line at (541) 774-8333.
Case #18-1793
