PAGE A8, KEIZERTIMES, JULY 5, 2019
offi cers and injuring a third.
Kuhns was part of Marion
County’s Homicide Assault
continued from Page A1 Response Team at the time
and one of more than 250
Another neighbor was investigators assigned to the
a Salem police offi cer who crime. He knew all three of
would let Kuhns and other the offi cers involved in the
kids explore his patrol car. Yet explosion.
“That was one of the worst
another neighbor, Dr. Peter
Batten, was the county medical things I ever saw, two fellow
examiner for more than three brothers being killed over a
decades. Batten watched as attempted bank robbery,” he
Kuhns’ interest grew and said.
The craziest day of his
invited him to attend autopsies
on two occasions – the fi rst was career occurred when he was
a run-of-the-mill death, the a detective. A message came in
second was part of a criminal over his pager from Troncoso to
get to a radio. D&D Jewelry on
investigations.
Kuhns’ intended to study River Road had been robbed
accounting when he enrolled by two armed men. The owner
in college, and follow in his shot one of them as they fl ed
father’s footsteps, but he learned and wounded him.
A few minutes later, another
fairly quickly that he wasn’t a
match for the role. He ended call came in that there was an
up studying criminal justice explosion and vehicle fi re at
at Chemeketa Community an apartment complex not far
College and joined the reserve from the jewelry store.
“We had no
offi cer pool at
idea if the two
I n d e p e n d e n c e “That was
were connected,
P o l i c e
one of the
but we fi gured
Department.
out
pretty
When KPD worst things
quickly that they
put out a call
were,”
Kuhns
for new recruits, I ever saw,
said. The witness
Kuhns submitted two fellow
that connected
his application
–
alongside brothers being the incidents was
in kindergarten.
700 others. He killed over a
“Part
of
and
current
my job was
KPD
Chief attempted
canvassing and
John
Teague
were two of bank robbery.” talking to people
who
might
nine candidates
— Jeff Kuhns have seen what
selected.
happened. After
For Kuhns,
city policing “was the best of we got the fi re out, I noticed
all worlds and you had a lot of a kid sitting on the steps and
assistance around if you need went over to talk to him,”
Kuhns said. “He said, ‘I saw the
it.”
Within a short amount of whole thing.’”
The boy had seen two men
time, Kuhns was making his
way through the ranks. His fi rst get out of the now-destroyed
major stop was the detective vehicle and leave with a third
squad with longtime partner man in a red sports car. When
John Troncoso. Kuhns said it Kuhns asked him if he noticed
was the most rewarding of all anything else, the boy told him
that the driver of the second
the roles.
“You are responsible for vehicle had been in the parking
the most serious crimes and, if lot for a while and gotten out
you can solve those crimes, the of his car to throw something
individuals who were harmed away in a community trash bin.
“He also told me it would
are so appreciative. Whether it’s
a hug after a trial, a Christmas be the only thing in it since the
card that arrives on the regular garbage man came earlier that
each December or someone day,” Kuhns said.
Kuhns walked over to the
making a point of stopping by
to wish you happy holidays,” he bin and opened the lid. Its only
contents were a cast-off bag
said.
The most fun was that from Fred Meyer. The third
of patrol sergeant where he suspect had picked up chicken
got to supervise all the most fi ngers and jojos earlier that
serious calls and assign and morning. In addition to time
direct his unit without the stamps on the packaging that
load of additional paperwork. let police track movement,
He was promoted to captain investigators also got a
in 2003 and his work became fi ngerprint off the bag.
The men who robbed the
primarily administrative, but he
was still able to respond to calls store used a bomb to blow
regularly given the relatively up their getaway vehicle as a
small size of the Keizer police distraction.
force.
Kuhns’ most diffi cult day
was Dec. 12, 2008, and it wasn’t
even the result of a Keizer
police incident. It was the
day two men placed a bomb
outside a Woodburn bank and
it later detonated killing two
WATCH,
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LIVE STAND UP COMEDY
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Saturday, July 13
SAT, JULY 13
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11:00 AM
TICKETS ARE JUST $4
SPECIAL SHOWING FOR KIDS
AND ADULTS WITH AUTISM OR
OTHER SENSORY SENSITIVITIES.
DANIEL EACHUS & ROB NEVILLE will
perform at 7pm and 9pm. Admission is only
$10. Ages 21 & over only. Reserved seating for
this show. Purchase tickets at box offi ce or at
our website.
Student Night
EVERY THURSDAY!
All Ages Movies
in Theatre #3.
Today in History
French designer Louis Reard unveils a daring two-piece
swimsuit at the Piscine Molitor, a popular swimming pool
in Paris. Parisian showgirl Micheline Bernardini modeled
the new fashion, which Reard dubbed “bikini,” inspired
by a news-making U.S. atomic test that took place off the
Bikini Atoll in the Pacifi c Ocean earlier that week.
— July 5, 1946
Food 4 Thought
“Whatever you do, do it with all your might. Work at it, early
and late, in season and out of season, not leaving a stone
unturned, and never deferring for a single hour that which
can be done just as well now. ”
— P. T. Barnum, circus showman, born July 5, 1810
The Weeks Ahead
Through Sunday, July 7
Civil War reenactment, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day at
Heritage Powerland Park, Brooklake Rd. N. Battle
reenactments each day at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Admission
is $12 for those 12 years of age and older. Admission
covers cost of parking, all other exhibits and museums.
Cherryfest NW (formerly Bite and Brew of Salem),
Salem’s Riverfront Park. Live music, more than
80 microbrews and ciders. food vendors, carnival.
Fireworks on 4th of July. For times and admission visit
cherryfestnw.com.
Friday, July 5
A Hawaiian Luau will take place at Keizer Rotary
Amphitheater at Keizer Rapids Park. Free admission.
The gathering will include authentic music, dancing
and food. Please no outside food or beverages. No pets
allowed inside the amphitheater. For more information,
call (503) 910-3232.
Saturday, July 6
Joe Stoddard performs a high energy music and comedy
experience. Keizer Rotary Amphitheatre at Keizer
Rapids Park. Concert starts at 6:30 p.m. No outside food
or beverage. No pets allowed in amphitheatre.
Artists’ reception for Keizer Art Association’s July
show, Celebrate America, 2-4 p.m. Enid Joy Mount
Gallery, Keizer Cultural Center, 980 Chemawa Rd. NE.
Exhibition runs through July 31. keizerarts.com.
Keizer Salem Area Seniors Saturday Night Dance
and Potluck featuring music by The Country Gents,
admission $5. 7 p.m.-10 p.m. at 930 Plymouth Drive
N.E., Keizer.
Sunday, July 7
The Timbers face off against TSS FC Rovers at starting at
2 p.m. at McCulloch Stadium. Tickets are $9 for adults
and $5 for children ages four to twelve. Purchase tickets
at timbersu23.com/tickets/
Monday, July 8
#HikingMyFeelings: Healing Your Mind and Body
on the Trail. Woman. Diabetic. Adventurer. Survivor.
Hear the story of how two hikes across Catalina Island
helped Sydney Williams strip away everything she is
not, in order to fi nd out who she is. Salem-Keizer REI,
6035 Ulali Dr, Keizer, OR 97303, from 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
visit https://www.rei.com/stores/salem-keizer.html to
register.
Tuesday, July 9
Free admission all day at Hallie Ford Museum of Art,
700 State Street. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Wednesday, July 10
The Keizer/Salem Area Senior Center is hosting bingo
from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Admission is $5.50. There
will be a chance to win monetary prizes, free game cards
and daubers.
Thursday, July 11 – Sunday, July 14
2019 Marion County Fair. Admission ranges from $5
to $9. Dozens of attractions, exhibits, shows and more.
Oregon State Fairgrounds and Expo Center. For a full list
of events and information log onto marioncountyfair.net.
Thursday, July 11
The Oregon Garden in Silverton will host Movies in the
Garden: Crazy Rich Asians at 7 p.m. Admission is at the
door. Adults are $4, teens 12-17 are $3 and Children 5-11
are $2. To learn more visit oregongarden.org
Add your event by e-mailing reporter@keizertimes.com
sudoku
Enter digits
from 1-9 into
the blank
spaces. Every
row must
contain one
of each digit.
So must every
column, as
must every
3x3 square.
Acting troupe
hosting youth
camps
Enlighten Theatrics will
begin their 2019 youth and
teen summer camps in late
July and early August.
The location of the camps
are yet to be decided, but will
be somewhere in the down-
town Salem area.
Their Youth Summer Camp
will begin at 10 a.m. and end
at 2 p.m. from Monday, August
5 through Friday, August 9. In
this camp, students will learn
the fundamentals of musical
theatre including acting, sing-
ing and dancing. On the fi nal
day of the camp, there will be
a recital for friends and family
at the Salem’s Historic Grand
Theatre.
The Teen Summer Camp
will begin at 10 a.m. and end
at 3 p.m. from Monday, July 29
to Thursday, August 22. Stu-
dents in this camp will spend
four weeks developing their
acting, singing and dancing
skills. At the end of the camp
students will do four perfor-
mances of Honk JR on the
Salem’s Historic Grand The-
atre Stage.
The price for the Youth
Camp is $100 and the price
for the Teen Camp is $395.
Scholarships are available and
can be applied for during reg-
istration. To register, and to
learn more about the camps,
visit enlightenedtheatrics.org.
“Police caught up with the
guys in Portland and the whole
thing ended with a wreck on
Interstate 205. One of the guys
had a bullet in his shoulder that
he couldn’t explain,” Kuhns
said.
While both the bombing
and the robbery/explosion
stand out most during his
long career, Kuhns said the
changes in policing, starting
with Tucker’s defusing of the
runaway situation, are welcome
ones.
“We look at the incidents
more holistically. Offi cers are
taking a lot more factors into
account and looking at the
impacts down the line and
whether the act itself deserves
all those other consequences,”
Kuhns said. “That’s not a
soft-on-crime approach, it’s a
professional one. The people
we meet might be having the
worst day of their life and we
try to be as helpful as we can.”
As Kuhns, and several others
with equal time on the job,
leave KPD, he’s been happy
to be part of handing the
organization over to a new
generation.
“They are excellent human
beings with big hearts. I admire
them more than anybody
because they are the ones
raising their hands and saying I
want to do this. Even after all
that’s gone on, they want to be
part of the solution – be part
of the community – and help,”
Kuhns said.
‘That was a very,
very dark time’
Kuhns’ on the
reign of Chief
Charles Stull
By ERIC A. HOWALD
Of the Keizertimes
Jeff Kuhns, aside from hav-
ing been one of the longest
serving Keizer Police Depart-
ment employees, also lived
through one of the depart-
ment’s most tumultuous eras.
Charles Stull was the chief
from the time Kuhns was
hired until he was removed
from the post by the Keizer
City Council in 1997.
Trouble had been brewing
for some time, but concerns
about his management style
were aired publicly after a
council-ordered, two-month
investigation by a retired
DEA agent.
“He had some good qual-
ities and he had some terrible
qualities. I remember telling
myself I would not do things
the way he did them,” Kuhns
said. Kuhns himself had been
on the receiving end of verbal
abuses.
The fi nal report – 133
pages and six volumes of
supporting documentation
– shed light on a litany of
offensive behavior. Stull was
accused of sexual harassment,
verbal harassment, intimida-
tion of offi cers and placing
offi cers at risk. In just a two
specifi c examples, he was
found to have voided cita-
tions for friends and acquain-
tances and attempted to place
undercover offi cers at risk by
requiring them to wear uni-
forms. The latter was in retal-
iation for a grievance fi led by
those in the department.
Stull ordered the Keizer
Police Association Union to
hold a vote on support of
him and, instead, the union
voted against Stull. That was
followed by a vote of no con-
fi dence. The council voted to
remove Stull from his post
in a 6-1 vote, the only vote
against the action came from
a councilor whose relatives
had a citation voided by Stull.
Kuhns cooperated with
the investigation, but that
alone was an act of courage.
“There were those who
didn’t believe the investiga-
tion would work, but I trust-
ed the system,” Kuhns said.
“That was a very, very dark
time. It was diffi cult to get
through, but we came out of
it better.”
maze
looking
back in
the KT
5 YEARS AGO
Fair deal: Bob’s Burger
is being brought back
Gina Dankenbring, owner of
the Golden Grill Concessions
company that temporarily
operated The Dog House
location at River Road and
Dietz Avenue in Keizer early
last year, recently announced an
agreement to bring back Bob’s
Burger express to the Oregon
State Fair in August.
10 YEARS AGO
Four sites proposed
near Keizer Station
for transit
The focus of a transit center
siting is on Keizer Station,
and transit offi cals invited the
public to give their input on
four possible sites there.
15 YEARS AGO
KLL teams prep for
all-star tournament
The Keizer Little League all-
star teams will be competing
throughout the coming week
in the District 7 All-star
tournament.
20 YEARS AGO
Tips for a
spectacularly safe
holiday celebration
Fireworks stands along River
Road are doing brisk busi-
ness this week, suggesting that
many Keizer neighborhoods
will have dazzling light shows
on the Forth. Keizer Fire Dis-
trict offi cials are reminding
residents to celebrate safely —
and legally.
Maze by Jonathan Graf of Keizer
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