Armed 87-Year old Woman Dies After Being Tased by Clackamas County Deputies

Deputies say they disarmed a threatening woman who had a handgun with the use of a Taser; she was pronounced dead an hour later.

The Inter-Agency Major Crimes Team will lead the investigation. Photos: CCSO

(BORING, Ore.) - PRESS RELEASE FROM THE CLACKAMAS COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE:

At 2:28 p.m. Thursday, July 08, 2010, Clackamas County Sheriff's Office Deputies were alerted to the report of a female waving a handgun at a male employee installing a water line to a residence in the Big Valley Woods, Mobile Home Park, located at 32700 SE Leewood Lane, #28, in Boring.

It was soon learned that the calling party – the assistant manager - was actually the spouse of a man who had been excavating a trench on a piece of property and installing a water line where this female suspect was threatening with a handgun. The threatened husband was communicating this threat to his wife on a portable radio.

At 2:31 p.m. one of the communications received reveals this female had not discharged her weapon as yet, but was declaring while yelling: "I'm going to shoot."

2:35 p.m. reflects on the call – two (2) veteran Clackamas County Sheriff's Deputies arrived in this rural mobile home park and began to strategically approach the suspect residence. Upon approach, these Deputies observed the armed female situated on the front porch of this residence – with a handgun clutched firmly in her hand.

The front porch of this residence is partially covered and concealed with large shrubbery. The two Deputies approached the armed female suspect on the porch near the shrubbery area – with one Deputy tactfully positioned on the side of this residence, and out of sight of the threatening suspect.

At approximately 2:42 p.m. one of the two Deputy Sheriff's began negotiating and issuing verbal commands to this threatening female – commanding her to put the weapon down and to comply with the Deputies pleas and demands – "Drop the weapon!" At one point, this woman complied with the Deputies instructions and momentarily placed the handgun on the handrail of the porch. Unfortunately, she instantaneously disregarded the demands and once again reached and secured the handgun into the grasp of her hand.

Courageously, the accompanying Deputy – who was concealed from sight -- felt comfortable enough with this threatening moment to transition to the use of non-lethal force and elected to deploy his Taser in an effort to immobilize the armed threat – not to employ the use of deadly force.

The deployed use of non-lethal force – a Taser – brought the woman down and enabled the two Deputies to take command and disarm the incapacitated female safely.

The Deputies immediately recognized this elderly female, was unconscious and unresponsive. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was immediately administered by the Deputies to this female.

At 2:44 p.m. American Medical Response (AMR) arrived on the scene continuing with this life saving effort.

This woman – who will be formally identified after all notifications have been completed – was transported to Mount Hood Medical Center. Approximately one-hour later, this woman was pronounced dead at the Mount Hood Medical Center.

As investigators arrived on scene, representing the Clackamas County Inter-Agency Major Crimes Team, it was soon learned this female was still wearing a hospital admissions bracelet that was issued to her when she was previously admitted to a local hospital for an unknown medical condition.

Witnesses close to this woman in the mobile home park declare this woman has been deteriorating rapidly both physically and mentally recently. She is described as a nice woman who was experiencing severe heart trouble, combined with memory and reality issues.

Both of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Deputies who were directly involved in this incident will be placed on administrative leave for a short period of time while this ongoing investigation continues.

Administrative leave affords those involved an opportunity to decompress with the enormous emotional entanglement generated, but also affords administrators and investigators immediate access to those individual employees. The names of the Deputies will be made public at the appropriate time.

Although this event did not involve the deployment of ‘lethal force', the Sheriff's Office wishes to insure the integrity and clarity of this ongoing investigation by directing the Inter-Agency Major Crimes Team to pursue the desired unbiased investigation.

The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office is not releasing the name of this deceased 87-year-old female at this time pending notification of long distance relatives.

A forensic autopsy of this female will be conducted by the Oregon State Medical Examiner's Office. The results of this forensic autopsy will be made public by the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office as soon as possible.

The Clackamas County Sheriff's Office provides continual training to the courageous men and women of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office. As a result, this superb training provides the citizens of Clackamas County with an elite force of ‘skilled and compassionate' Deputies. Unfortunately, not all law-enforcement related encounters are able to be diffused peacefully.

Source: Clackamas County Sheriff's Office (CCSO)

Photos below provided by CCSO: