A 27-year-old Portland man was shot and killed and a Woodburn police officer was injured after multiple shots were fired during a four-hour standoff at an Aurora-area truck stop last week.
Officials identified Micaiah Clinton as the victim of the shooting on the afternoon of April 25. Woodburn police officer Jesse Ponce, 31, was struck and injured during the shooting at the Flying J truck stop near the Interstate 5 exit.
He underwent surgery at a hospital, but is in stable condition, police said, and his injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening. Officer Ponce has been with the Woodburn Police Department since 2017 and is a member of the Marion County Interagency SWAT Team.
“WPD is happy to report that Officer Ponce is out of surgery and resting comfortably at the hospital. We wish him a healthy recovery,” said Woodburn Police Chief Marty Pilcher. “Additionally, we are greatly appreciative of all the assistance we received this morning from EMS and our fellow law enforcement agencies.”
Sheriff Joe Kast stated, “Our hearts are with the Woodburn Police Department and Officer Ponce. We admire the courage the men and women in law enforcement show every day when they go to work, committed to protecting our community.”
The Oregon State Police provided little information on the circumstances that prompted the shooting in a Monday evening update. They did not say who shot and killed Clinton, whether Clinton had a firearm or how Ponce was injured.
At least one officer, Marion County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Tyler Morrow, 32, fired his weapon during the shooting, according to the Oregon State Police. He has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard protocol after law enforcement shootings.
A deputy U.S. Marshal requested deputies respond to the truck stop at 6:15 a.m. after Clinton was seen in the parking lot, the state police said.
Court records show that Clinton was facing charges of fleeing a police officer and being a felon in possession of a firearm, stemming from two separate arrests in 2021, and there was a warrant out for his arrest.
Clinton barricaded himself in a van, officials said, prompting deputies to call in the Marion County Interagency SWAT team for assistance.
Tactical negotiators with the SWAT team attempted to persuade the suspect to surrender safely over the course of the next few hours. After those efforts were unsuccessful, gas munitions were introduced into the van.
At around 10:50 a.m., Clinton left the van and “multiple shots were fired,” according to the state police. They did not say who fired those shots.
The shooting is being investigated by the Oregon State Police in conjunction with the Marion County District Attorney’s Office.
This is the third shooting by an officer in Marion County this year. Salem police have shot and killed two people this year — one on February 7 and one on April 11.
