Clackamas Deputy Justified Using Deadly Force, Grand Jury Finds

OREGON CITY, OR — A deputy with the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office was justified when he shot and killed Nathan Honeycutt following a chase and struggle last month. That was the ruling from a grand jury that heard the case.

On Sept. 27, Deputy Jansen Bento had tried pulling over a white pickup with no license plates at the intersection of Southeast 132nd and King Rds. The driver, later identified as Honeycutt, did not stop, according to a report into the shooting by the district attorney's office.

Live in Oregon City? Click here to subscribe to our free breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox and mobile devices. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and download our free mobile app on Android or iPhone.

The report said that Honeycutt kept driving even after the truck's tires were blown out.

It was only after Honeycutt lost control and struck a barrier that the chase ended.

Bento used his patrol car to pin the truck but Honeycutt got out and tried to run. The report says that Bento caught up with and the two struggled. The report said that Honeycutt had a gun that he refused to drop.

When Honeycutt pointed the gun directly at Bento, the deputy fired three shots, hitting Honeycutt in the chest. Despite efforts to save him, Honeycutt died at the scene.

Detectives later determined that the truck had been stolen three days earlier in Portland.