Keizertimes., July 13, 2018, Page PAGE A2, Image 2

PAGE A2, KEIZERTIMES, JULY 13, 2018
FIRE,
continued from Page A1
on Thursday, July 5, to dis-
cuss their strategy moving
forward.
Citing several past inci-
dents of bullets being re-
covered on the east side of
the river, Keizerite Shirley
DeShon told commissioners
that fears are on the rise.
“When they start shoot-
ing, everyone runs in the
house like it’s a war zone.
I’ve had it and we’re all done
with this stuff. There was no
action until Tom’s wife was
almost hit,” DeShon said.
Keizer residents also took
issue with an assessment from
Polk County Sheriff Mark
Garton that shooting can be
done safely on the site with
proper precautions and safety
measures.
“There is no safe direc-
tion to shoot over there.
Most guns shoot at least one
mile and average about two
miles,” said Rhonda Rich.
It’s estimated that the bul-
let that hit the Bauer resi-
dence fl ew about 3,300 feet.
William George, who
once found a bullet between
his home and his neighbors’
said that the problem with
the quarry shooting range is
that it gives the perception of
isolation when it’s not.
“You’ve got to be safe and
there is no way a cotton-
wood is going to stop those
bullets,” George said.
Shelly Griffi n said she and
her husband didn’t report an
incident that sent her hus-
band and a friend commando
crawling back to their home
around 2010.
“We had the attitude that
nobody cares because it’s
been going on for years. It
doesn’t have to happen, and
it’s not the appropriate place.
I encourage you to come
over and see how close the
range is in proximity to peo-
ple,” Griffi n said.
Keizer City Attorney
Shannon Johnson requested
‘CEASE
AND DESIST’
Polk County orders shooting to stop
site in response to a complaint stemming from a
By ERIC A. HOWALD
bullet being fi red from an AR-15 that penetrated
Of the Keizertimes
A code enforcement offi cer for Polk Coun- the exterior walls of a Keizer home and stopped
two feet away from one of the
ty has notifi ed the owner of a
residents when it hit a granite
quarry across the Willamette
backsplash in a kitchen.
River that he must apply for a
Four men were ticketed for
conditional permit or stop using
reckless endangerment, but the
the space as a shooting range for
charges were dismissed (see re-
friends and family.
lated story DA laments late rec-
“You must cease and desist
ognition).
the fi rearms range use or ob-
A Polk County code
Jackson observed “targets are
tain a land use permit from Polk
placed on top (of a berm) that
County,” wrote Jerry Jackson, a
enforcement offi cer has
would allow projectiles to leave
code enforcement offi cer in a
sent a letter to a West Salem
the property in the direction of
letter dated June 18. “Contin-
business owner notifying
the (Keizer) neighborhood.”
ued violation will result in the
him that use of his quarry
The property is currently
issuance of a citation and, upon
as a shooting range is in
zoned as exclusive farm use,
conviction, a fi ne.”
violation of zoning codes
which does not include shoot-
The letter was addressed to
and threatens citations and
ing ranges or fi rearms training
Lance Davis, the owner of Riv-
fi nes if the activity continues. facilities. If the shooting range
er Bend Sand & Gravel, where
had been permitted before
shooting has taken place for a
1995, it might have been grand-
number of years. Copies of the
letter were distributed to Polk County Commis- fathered in, but Jackson said a review of records
sioners and attendees at a public meeting in Dal- found no such permit and is therefore in viola-
las on Tuesday, July 10. Jackson said he visited the tion of public nuisance codes.
Need
to Know
Your Life.
Our Commitment.
At Avamere, we provide seniors with
options designed to meet their
needs when and where they need it
most. We are recognized as one of
Salem-Keizer’s leaders of senior
living and care services.
that Polk County commis-
sioners hold off on taking
action until Keizer makes a
formal statement, but Com-
missioner Mike Ainsworth
offered vocal support of
Keizerites’ pleas repeatedly
throughout the meeting.
“This has irritated me
from the beginning. I’m not
opposed to people shoot-
ing guns, but there has to be
some common sense,” Ain-
sworth said.
Commissioner Craig Pope
was more reserved in his as-
sessment and wanted to de-
ploy the right solution.
“We have life-threatening
issues around us all day every
day and a lot of bad behav-
ior goes on. Everyone from
Keizer drove here on a high-
way,” Pope said. “If it is in
fact a shooting range, it’s ille-
gal. If I were that landowner,
I would have stopped this
years ago. I’m grateful that
you have banded together. It
moves the issue a lot further
than we could have done
alone.”
DA laments late recognition
of shooting range dangers
the four men allegedly using the shooting
By ERIC A. HOWALD
range at the time of the June incident and was
Of the Keizertimes
Polk County District Attorney Aaron Fel- taken to task for the decision by Keizer resi-
ton told members of the Polk County Board dents and Commissioner Mike Ainsworth of
of Commissioners and nearly two dozen Keiz- the Polk County Board of Commissioners for
er neighbors that he wished he had known letting the suspects off the hook.
“I think it’s BS that you didn’t prosecute
sooner about gun range activities taking place
it,” said Ainsworth. “If I had lived over there,
in his jurisdiction that put lives at risk.
“Living in that environment, I wish I had I would have been upstairs beating on the
heard sooner and I wish I could have been doors (Note: the commissioners meetings take
involved sooner,” Felton said. “You have the place in the Polk County Courthouse). At least
support of my offi ce and advising from the you would have been showing good faith,”
Ainsworth said. “ I don’t care
government standpoint in
if it was positive prosecution or
terms of criminal risks going
not, going through the process
forward. I don’t want you to
would have sent a message.”
feel like you are doing this on
Felton said the standard for
your own.”
prosecuting the men in con-
Felton said he fi rst became
nection with the incident was
aware of the hazards created by
higher than the one sheriff ’s
a quarry being used as a shoot-
deputies needed for issuing
ing range when four men were
the citations. Police offi cers
cited for reckless endangering
need probable cause to issue a
in June after a bullet fi red from
— Aaron Felton citation, but attorneys need to
the quarry penetrated a Keizer
Polk District Attorney prove the facts of a case beyond
home and only stopped when
a reasonable doubt to convict
it hit a granite kitchen back-
someone of a crime.
splash.
Felton said that proving the case would
The quarry is located across the Willamette
River from Keizer but two incidents in the have required the men to knowingly disregard
past year have ignited fears in area residents. the possibility that they were placing others
The fi rst was in September 2017 when a hail in danger.
“There was physical barriers, vegetation
of bullets strafed through trees in Sunset Park
along the river, the second was the June in- and berms. Given the facts, we couldn’t prove
they knew the homes were on the other side,”
cident.
Felton’s offi ce dismissed the charges against Felton said.
“I don’t want
you to feel
like you are
doing this on
your own.”
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