Medford, Oregon- A Jackson County grand jury has determined that two Eagle Point police officers were justified in using deadly force in the fatal shooting of 32-year-old Trae Blackbear earlier this month, prosecutors announced Friday.
The grand jury met on Oct. 30 to review the Oct. 15 incident, during which Chief Jim Hamilton and Officer Marc Slagle shot and killed Blackbear after he attacked one of the officers with a knife.
The panel was asked to determine whether each officer’s actions were justified as a lawful use of deadly physical force under Oregon law. Prosecutors said jurors reviewed testimony from witnesses, body-worn and dash camera footage, and physical evidence from the scene before concluding the officers acted within the law.
According to the Jackson County District Attorney’s Office, Chief Hamilton initially responded to a 9-1-1 call from a woman reporting that Blackbear had refused to leave an apartment on Onyx Street after forcing his way in. When Hamilton contacted Blackbear near the covered bridge on Main Street, Blackbear refused to identify himself and appeared “agitated and argumentative,” according to testimony.
Hamilton told Blackbear he was investigating a possible forced entry. After providing a false name, Blackbear reportedly told the chief, “I’ll show you hostile and angry.”
Officer Slagle, who was responding to assist, confirmed through dispatch that Blackbear had an extraditable warrant out of California for a parole violation related to a sexual assault conviction, as well as prior assault and battery offenses. When officers informed Blackbear he was under arrest, he allegedly reached into a backpack, pulled out a knife, and attacked Slagle.
Hamilton deployed his Taser, causing Blackbear to drop the knife briefly. But when the Taser’s charge ended, prosecutors said Blackbear picked the knife up again, yelled “f**k you,” and began to stand. Both officers then fired, striking him.
Blackbear fell, but again picked up the knife and repeated the phrase before standing a second time. The officers fired again, fatally wounding him. Slagle suffered a puncture wound to his right upper arm and a laceration to his forearm, requiring stitches. The knife, which had a 5-inch blade, was recovered at the scene.
Chief Hamilton testified that he tried to de-escalate the encounter but believed Blackbear was likely to fight or flee after giving a false name. Both officers stated they believed Blackbear posed “an imminent threat of serious physical injury or death” when they opened fire.
The grand jury concluded that the actions of both officers were “fully justified and in compliance with Oregon law.”
The investigation was led by the Oregon State Police with assistance from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Ashland Police Department, Central Point Police Department, and Medford Police Department.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Alyssa Claseman and Senior Deputy District Attorney Lucy Durst presented the case to the grand jury. A transcript of the proceedings will be released when available.
A compilation of video from the officers’ body-worn cameras and a patrol vehicle that captured the incident has been made public.
You can watch the video here, viewer discretion is advised.
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