Warm Springs PD officer shoots gun-wielding man, police say

Officer on paid leave; man recovering at Portland hospital

WARM SPRINGS, Ore. (KTVZ) -- A Warm Springs police officer shot and wounded a man who was brandishing a gun in a neighborhood and reportedly told responding officers several times, “Just shoot me,” Police Chief Bill Elliott said Tuesday.

The incident began around 2:20 p.m. on Sunday afternoon, after tribal police dispatchers received several complaints from residents in the West Hills area of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation of a man brandishing a gun, Elliott said.

Officers responded to the area and found the man, later identified as Macklin Kalama, 43, a Warm Springs tribal member.

As officers approached Kalama, he was told to show his hands, and the gun was seen, the police chief said in a news release.

During the encounter, “Kalama exclaimed several times to officers, ‘Just shoot me,’ and then subsequently was alleged to make a movement that led officers to believe that Mr. Kalama was about to use deadly force against them.”

“It was at this time that one of the WSTPD officers fired their service handgun, wounding the suspect,” Elliott said.

Medics were quickly called to the scene, and once the area was deemed safe, officers secured Kalama and moved him to a location where EMTs would have access.

After initial medical aid, Kalama was taken to St. Charles Bend and later was transferred to a Portland hospital to continue his recovery. At last report, he is in stable condition, Elliott said.

The police chief said he could not provide more details of the type of weapon Kalama had, the number of shots fired or the name of the officer, due to the ongoing investigation. However, Elliott did confirm to NewsChannel 21 the officer is on paid administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation.

The FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office were notified, he said, and at the request of Warm Springs police, the FBI sent an evidence recovery team to process the scene, work that was completed on Monday.

The Warm Springs Tribal Police Department is conducting an administrative review of the officer’s use of force, and has arranged for another tribal police agency to conduct the review, to ensure impartiality, the police chief said.

However, the FBI will take the lead, Elliott said, should the investigation find a violation of federal law, and directly liaison with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Portland regarding any potential federal investigation.

He also noted that the officer involved was wearing an operational body camera and said the footage will be part of the administrative review.