Oregon trooper justified in shooting of 22-year-old Salem man

A Marion County grand jury on Friday unanimously found an Oregon State Police trooper justified in shooting and killing a 22-year-old Salem man in late February near the Gov. Ted Kulongoski Army Aviation Training Center on Turner Road.

The decision came about three weeks after police responded to a report around 10 a.m. on Feb. 27 that Matthew Walter Wong had given a threatening note to a guard at the National Guard Air Station.

Salem Police, which is the agency in charge of conducting the deadly use of force investigation per the Marion County Law Enforcement Officer Deadly Use of Force Plan, said Senior Trooper Justin Oxenrider responded to the incident.

Police said a computer dispatch report told Oxenrider that Wong gave a note to the guard that said, “I will give you 10 minutes to decide, something about laying down arms.”

The dispatch report said it was the second time Wong had appeared in the area in the last three days, according to police.

Officials with the Marion County District Attorney’s Office released an account of the incident Friday.

Oxenrider learned on the way to the scene that Wong had an active arrest warrant for an unlawful use of a weapon and that Wong had pulled a knife the last time police engaged with him, the release said.

When he arrived on the scene Oxenrider identified Wong, turned on his body camera and approached him, saying, “Hey Partner! How you doin’?’” the release said.

Wong began to walk away with his hands in his pockets. He refused Oxenrider’s requests that he take his hands out of his pockets, saying he would leave instead, according to the release.

Oxenrider told Wong he couldn’t leave and again asked him to take his hands out of his pockets. When he refused, Oxenrider pulled his taser, the release said.

Wong then pulled a knife out of one of his pockets and Oxenrider deployed his taser but missed Wong, according to the release. Oxenrider alleged Wong “charged” him with the knife.

The release said Oxenrider and Wong engaged in a physical struggle and Oxenrider again failed to effectively deploy the taser. Wong began to walk away, but Oxenrider said he felt Wong was a danger and he would not let him leave, according to the release.

After commanding Wong to drop the knife, Oxenrider pulled his gun, saw Wong turn back in an “aggressive manner” and fired two shots, the release said. Oxenrider said his behavior mirrored when he had charged earlier.

The shooting happened in a grassy area as traffic drove by, body camera footage from Oxenrider released by the district attorney’s office showed.

Wong died at the scene, and an autopsy found he had been struck by both bullets, the release said.

The release said no bystanders or police were injured during the incident.

Wong had two previous arrests and no convictions, the release said.

The grand jury determined Oxenrider had exhausted all alternatives and no other options would have been feasible.