Coos County DA: Man calls for ambulance, shot and arrested by officers
BANDON, Ore. -- Officers shot a man twice in the arm Tuesday night after he had called 911 for an ambulance, the Coos County District Attorney said.
District Attorney Paul Frasier said that the man, later identified as Charles Wayne Crum, requested medical assistance at his rural Bandon residence.
According to Bandon Police officials, Crum has a history of violent behavior with officers, as well as misdemeanor warrants on file.
The sheriff's office protocol states that officers must assist potentially dangerous subjects before sending out an ambulance.
Arriving officers, who thought the man was armed, fired shots and hit him in the arm, police said. Officials report that Crum refused treatment for his non-life threatening injuries and was taken directly to the Coos County Jail.
Officials said that the incident started at around 6:15 p.m. Tuesday when a man identifying himself as Charlie Crum called 911 asking for medical assistance or an ambulance.
Dispatch officials said that Crum couldn't provide a street address when they asked his location. The operators used a tracking feature to find that the call was coming from a property at the end of Marple Lane near Bandon, Oregon.
Officials said that Crum had been violent with Bandon Police officers in the past. When dealing with people like that, it is protocol to send a sheriff's deputy to the scene before sending an ambulance, the sheriff's office said.
A Bandon Police officer responded to the call since their police department was closer than the nearest Coos County sheriff's deputies.
The responding officer reported that when he arrived on-scene Crum ran from his fifth-wheel trailer and hid in the nearby brush.
District Attorney Frasier said that rather than force the issue, the officer drove away from the property and waited for backup to arrive.
A short time later, Crum called 911 again asking for an ambulance and complaining that they sent out the police instead, officials said.
The DA's release said that another Bandon officer and two sheriff's deputies came out to assist in the situation.
Police said that the responding officers called out to Crum, who they believed was still in the underbrush.
The officers said that as they were leaving the property, Crum (who was actually inside the trailer) opened the door to the fifth-wheel and stood in the doorway holding what appeared to be a rifle.
Frasier said that all four officers opened fire, fearing for their safety. Crum was hit twice in the arm, police said.
Crum refused medical treatment for the non-life threatening gunshot wounds and was taken to the Coos County Jail on his outstanding warrants, the district attorney said.
The Coos Bay Police Department is heading the investigation into the shooting. Since officers from both Bandon Police and the Coos County Sheriff's Office shot at Crum, those agencies will not be involved in the investigation.
The district attorney said that investigators are working to determine whether the officers actions were permissible under Oregon law, and to decide if Crum should face other charges.
Called an ambulance, got shot twice in the arm, then refused treatment. So, why call an ambulance to begin with? He ran out of booze? Must be an abuse of 911 at least.
He stands in his doorway holding a rifle. If the 4 cops have nowhere to run to seek cover faster than the known nut job can fire at them, they had every right to shoot at and disable him (which they did). They also did not know how many others were hiding in the (am)bushes with a rifle. Appears this lone nut did quite a bit to successfully provoke being shot. My guess is that he is/was suicidal and regrets not being killed. Now, he wants to milk it as a martyr in the wake of the police state. Too bad they didn't just shoot him in the head, save us all future hassles.
We have to stop hiring cowards for cops, murderers with badges.
Never forget Kelly Thomas. RIP.
More law enforcement scum shooting up the innocent after creating a bad situation and unnecessarily escalating to violence. People have every reason to be afraid of police, just look at the "justice" this man received.
if he lived in the( lane county erea ) he would be out in time for dinner.
All four officers opened fire and this guy gets an ARM injury?  Nice shooting, Barney(s).
I am often appalled by excessive police shooting, but not in this instance. Â The proximate cause of this incident is that someone with an alleged reputation for violence was roaming the streets instead of being in an institution. Â After the recent nut-case ambush which is filling the papers, the police were undoubtedly on edge and this guy - according to the article - had used violence before. Â Not a victim of the police state . . . in this case.
 @Reis Kash so you have all the information, could you share that with the rest of us
 @censoredirawoody He just defended the police over this officer involved shooting. I'm not sure what you thought he said, but if you take the time to read his comment he said (and I'm paraphrasing). "This wasn't a victim of the police state, the dude was nuts, the cops did a good job protecting themselves."
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 @RelaxThereIsNoGod  @censoredirawoody Thanks for explaining my remark concerning police shooting.  I am quite concerned about police excesses and militarized police.  I've read a number of incidents in which, in my opinion as a police officer with 37 years experience and a Master's Degree in the Administration of Justice, were an excessive use of force.  I am also concerned about tendencies which indicate a future possible police state, but hope people will be reasonable instead of rushing to justice.  Thanks again.
Yet another victim of the police state.