Grand Jury Clears Officer After Knife-Wielding Suspect Shot in Medford Park

MEDFORD, Ore. — A Jackson County Grand Jury cleared Medford Police Officer David Leal in the July 4 shooting of Salvador Sanchez, 55, in Hawthorne Park, but Sanchez was indicted on multiple felony charges related to the incident.

Grand Jury Decision In Hawthorne Park Shooting

The Grand Jury said Leal was legally justified under Oregon statute ORS 161.242 in using deadly force in a shooting that occurred at approximately 8 a.m. on the park’s south side.

Initially, Officer Ethan Sampson identified Sanchez as a subject with an active arrest warrant, but Sanchez denied this and attempted to walk away, saying he wasn’t going to jail.

The officers and a use-of-force expert gave testimony, and video footage from body-worn cameras and a patrol car dashcam was presented.

According to testimony, Sanchez reached into a reusable shoulder bag during the interaction, prompting Officer Sampson to draw his firearm to a low-ready position for his own safety. Sampson gave repeated commands for Sanchez to remove his hand, but Sanchez produced a large 10- to 12-inch knife from the bag.

While Officer Sampson radioed that the suspect was armed, he gave commands to drop the weapon while backing away. Responding to the call, Officer Leal arrived on the scene moments later and recognized Sanchez from a prior incident in which the suspect had been aggressive and resistant to law enforcement, including withstanding multiple taser deployments.

As Sanchez continued to approach Sampson with the knife, Leal also gave commands and tried to transition to less-lethal force, but Sanchez suddenly turned toward Leal and advanced toward him with the knife.

Although Leal tried to move back for several paces while giving commands for Sanchez to drop the knife, Sanchez refused to do so and continued to move towards him aggressively.

Believing there was no time to use his taser safely and that Sanchez posed an imminent threat of death or serious physical injury to him in that moment, Officer Leal fired three rounds in quick succession at Sanchez. Sanchez was struck once in the abdomen and immediately fell to the ground.

While Leal was cleared, Sanchez was indicted on charges of Attempted Assault in the First Degree, two counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Resisting Arrest, and Attempted Escape in the Second Degree.