DA: 'If he'd still been standing ... he'd be dead'
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BANDON, Ore. -- The Coos County District Attorney says police fired about 40 rounds at a man on Christmas Day, in new details released Tuesday.
District Attorney Paul Fraiser says shots were fired at Charles Wayne Crum, after he raised a gun to police responding to his 911 call.
Fraiser says Crum was upset because he asked for an ambulance and instead police showed up.
The 911 dispatcher sent police instead of paramedics because she was worried Crum was going to ambush first responders, according to authorities.
Fraiser says Crum is lucky he survived the incident. "My guess why Mr. Crum is still with us is that he probably got hit by one of the first rounds that were fired, and he fell and he's on the ground," Fraiser said. "When I went out there and I looked at the trailer, all of the shots were like, waist high up. If he'd still been standing, my guess would be, he'd be dead."
Fraiser has not determined at this point if any charges will be filed against the man.
The responding officer reported back in December, 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.
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, hitting Crum twice in the arm.
He looks like multiple murderer Girley Crum of Bandon (1997). Any relationship?
How many cops does it take to shoot one guy???Â
So 4 cops fired 40 bullets and hit the guy twice? In the arm? And, if he fell immediately, what were they shooting at?
 "...holding what appeared to be a rifle"? Well, was it or wasn't it? And that 911 call would be interesting to listen to. Did he make a threat or what? And now they may not charge him with anything!   Well, at least he finally got his ambulance ride he called for.
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This is either a poorly written story, or someone should be asking questions. I'm betting lawyers already are.
@umpqua rafter ---poorly written story compared to the story 2 weeks ago. Said he had a pellet gun. Also said, he refused treatment in jail after being shot or grazed...by now 40 bullets? Probably UO Journalist interns on both stories, so we will never know or care any more. Move on to better story. Interns probably read our blogs to write their stories anyways.
Probably a typo about 4 cops firing 4 rounds and became 40 bullets. The real journalists were away on holidays. Move along! Coos bay police are as rotten as this hick that lives there. I will agree he was lucky...now that he is in jail and not being shot at for a change.