An Oregon jury has acquitted a cannabis store manager who fatally shot two armed robbers during an attempted heist, ruling that he acted in self-defense. The decision ended months of courtroom debate over whether the shooting was justified or excessive.
A Late-Night Robbery Turns Deadly
The incident occurred on October 3, 2024, at a Portland-area cannabis dispensary operated by the regional chain La Mota. According to court documents, Jason Steiner, 35, was the only employee on duty that night when three masked individuals entered the store armed with handguns.
Hearing noises from the front of the shop, Steiner left the backroom to investigate—only to find himself staring down the barrels of three guns. He later told investigators the robbers ordered him to the ground and began ransacking the store. Fearing for his life, he complied.
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Moments later, the suspects appeared to let him go. But Steiner told police he believed they might follow him outside or steal his car, which still had his keys inside. Once outside, he retrieved a firearm from his backpack and waited near the drive-through window.
That’s when he decided to act.
“They Were Prepared and Ready to Kill”
Defense attorney Thalia Sady argued that Steiner’s actions were driven by instinct and fear, not revenge or aggression. During closing arguments, she told jurors, “These were not fake or ammo-less guns. They were prepared and ready to kill that night.”
According to prosecutors, Steiner fired more than a dozen rounds through the drive-through window, killing 18-year-old King Lawrence and 20-year-old Tahir Burley. A third suspect fled the scene and remains at large.
Police recovered 13 shell casings and confirmed both victims were struck multiple times. Steiner immediately called 911, identified himself as the shooter, and surrendered his firearm—a homemade semiautomatic weapon without a serial number. He was cooperative when officers arrived and reportedly appeared “visibly shaken.”
The Prosecutors’ Argument
Prosecutors contended that Steiner had time to escape safely rather than reengage the robbers. Surveillance footage appeared to support portions of that claim. Video showed Steiner opening fire through the window “almost immediately,” investigators said, and none of the suspects had their guns drawn at that exact moment.
“The individuals were inside the building, the door was closed, and Mr. Steiner was the length of the building away,” investigators wrote in their affidavit. They argued that Steiner made a conscious decision to shoot rather than withdraw, calling it “a fatal misjudgment.”
But the defense countered that the footage did not show what Steiner was seeing from his vantage point—and that he had every reason to believe the robbers were still armed and dangerous.
A Question of Fear and Survival
The defense maintained that Steiner acted out of pure self-preservation. During his 911 call and later interviews, Steiner repeatedly said he didn’t want to hurt anyone. Body-camera footage played in court showed him in tears, saying, “I didn’t want to do this. I just thought they were coming for me.”
His attorneys emphasized that the robbers had already demonstrated willingness to use deadly force and that Steiner had no way of knowing whether they were regrouping for another attack.
“Jason Steiner didn’t go hunting for anyone,” Sady said. “He was hunted first.”
Jury Delivers Its Verdict
After several days of deliberation, the jury acquitted Steiner of two counts of first-degree murder and related charges. Jurors agreed that he reasonably believed his life was in danger, even if his decision to open fire later proved tragic.
Following the verdict, Steiner reportedly broke down in the courtroom, overwhelmed by relief and emotion. “He’s carried the weight of this night every single day,” his attorney said.
Aftermath and Broader Implications
The case has reignited debate in Oregon about the limits of self-defense laws—particularly when victims of violent crimes act preemptively to protect themselves. Oregon law allows the use of deadly force when a person reasonably believes they face imminent danger of death or serious injury.
For some, the verdict reinforces the right to self-protection in a state that has seen rising armed robberies targeting cannabis businesses. For others, it raises concerns about when defensive force becomes retaliation.
As for Steiner, he now walks free—but his life, he says, is forever changed. “I didn’t want anyone to die,” he told detectives the night of the shooting. “I just wanted to go home alive.”
Authorities confirmed that the investigation into the third suspect remains open. Meanwhile, the acquittal stands as a defining moment in Oregon’s ongoing struggle to balance public safety, gun rights, and accountability in moments of crisis.
