Page 10A OFF PAGE ONE East Oregonian Wednesday, December 20, 2017 SHOOTING: BB guns were among several items stolen from Walmart Continued from 1A and Cpl. Jon Lehman. Pendleton police at 8:46 p.m. received a dispatch call regarding a theft in progress at Walmart, 2203 S.W. Court Ave., and Reddington and Lehman each drove to the store. Reddington arrived first and saw a man matching the theft suspect’s description in the parking lot, according to the lengthy and detailed statement from Shirtcliff. That suspect was Hoisington. Reddington twice asked to talk to him, according to Shirtcliff, but the suspect ignored the requests and walked through the parking lot. Reddington identified himself as police and ordered the suspect to stop. Lehman arrived and began moving toward the suspect on foot. “The suspect then took off running and the officers followed in pursuit,” Shirtcliff stated. Hoisington reached into his waistband and Reddington yelled to Lehman the suspect was “reaching.” The two officers drew their handguns and started to re-holster them when Hoisington stopped reaching for his waistband. The foot pursuit continued, and Reddington saw the suspect reach for his waistband again and lift his coat, Shirtcliff reported. At this point, Reddington saw what looked like the butt end of a semi-automatic pistol in the suspect’s waistband. Reddington yelled out the suspect had a gun. Lehman and Reddington continued the pursuit. Shirtcliff stated the officers commanded Hoisington multiple times to stop and to drop the gun. They ran past Taco Bell, near the intersection of Southwest Court Avenue and 20th Street, then turned back toward Walmart. While running, Hoisington turned his upper body toward Reddington and raised the gun in his left hand, indicating he was going to point the gun at Reddington. “Sgt. Reddington fired multiple shots,” Shirtcliff stated, “two of which struck the suspect.” One round hit Hoisington in the lower left buttocks and the other hit below his left armpit and exited through the front chest area. Hoisington went to the ground. Witnesses noted a handgun near Hoisington, and another was about 6 feet from him. “Both guns were BB guns,” Shirtcliff reported. “And the inves- tigation showed that these guns were among several items stolen from Walmart.” The BB guns, however, look like real guns. Multiple witnesses told police they appeared real, “having the same color and configuration to a Colt 1911-style semi-automatic handgun.” “All of the investigatory materials, witness statements and medical records are consistent with Hoisington continuing to ignore the officers’ commands to stop and drop his weapon,” according to Shirtcliff. “Hoisington was running from the officers when he turned his body back towards Sgt. Reddington while lifting what appeared to be a real semi-auto- matic pistol upward in the direction of the officer.” Reddington was concerned Hoisington would fire the gun at him or Lehman and could endanger innocent citizens, Shirt- cliff continued, and “at that point was clearly justified in using force against Hoisington.” Roberts said he was incredulous Hoisington was willing to risk his life and endanger others for a BB gun. He also called the situation aggravating. Manufacturers of toy guns have made them less realistic over the years, but Roberts said people use these type of “replicas” to commit crimes, yet they carry less of a risk factor in terms of offenses. Felons can pack this type of BB gun and not face a crime for possession of a weapon, and people can carry them concealed without a permit, unlike a real gun in Oregon. The two BB guns are exactly alike and look real, he said, right down to the checkered butt — and that’s what the officers were trying to decipher during the high-stress moment at night on a dark street. An ambulance took Hoisington to St. Anthony Hospital, Pend- leton, and later an air ambulance flew him to Oregon Health and Science University, Portland. After his release, OHSU University Police arrested Hoisington on a felony warrant for second-degree robbery in Washington and booked him into the Multnomah County Inverness Jail, Portland. Theft and other charges regarding Hoisington’s actions in Pendleton are under review. Roberts said this was a tough situation and one nobody enjoys, regardless of the finding. Still, this is good news for the officers and the department, he said, which endured some staffing challenges while the pair were on leave during the investigation. And while Reddington and Lehman both passed psychological exams, the chief said the shooting carries a risk of delayed reaction to trauma, which the officers and supervisors must be attentive to going forward. ——— Contact Phil Wright at pwright@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0833. Christopher Oertell/Pamplin Media Group Liberty High School students show off their diplo- mas during a graduation ceremony at Hillsboro Stadium June 10. An audit from the Secretary of State’s Office is critical of the Oregon Department of Education’s efforts to increase graduation rates. AUDIT: State could improve graduation rates by identifying specific groups who are struggling Continued from 1A The audit also found that more than 70 percent of pupils who don’t graduate on time come from low-in- come households. The likelihood of their failure to graduate often becomes evident as early as middle school, yet the education department has neglected addressing middle-school performance and improving the transition to high school, according to the audit. Auditors said the state could improve graduation rates by identifying specific groups of students who are struggling and targeting programs toward them. The education department’s plans have focused on students of color, migrants and English language learners. But auditors found that the agency could yield better results if it also tracked and used improve- ment tools among pupils who transfer between districts, come from low-in- come households and are in middle school. Auditors recommended that the education depart- ment collect data on indi- vidual students’ grades and credit attainment to analyze and identify when students most often fall behind, courses with high failure rates, and how performance in specific courses affects graduation. The agency then needs to draw from education research and practices in successful districts to better support students in transition and in schools with mid-range graduation rates, the audit said. “The ODE must aggres- sively assess and assist school districts if they are to provide the help students need to be successful in school and graduate on-time,” Richardson said. Auditors acknowledged that the education depart- ment and schools face some limitations in financing some of the work needed to boost graduation in the state. The state Legislature does not fully fund schools, as prescribed by the state’s Quality Education Model. Colt Gill, acting deputy superintendent of schools, largely agreed with the findings of the audit. “Many of the themes in the audit are consistent with what we have identified in recent years, and we look forward to using the audit results to move our work forward,” Gill wrote in a Dec. 14 letter to Audits Division Director Kip Memmott. Some statewide plans and funding to boost on-time graduation already are in the works. Those plans focus on reducing chronic absenteeism, preventing students from dropping out and increasing access to college-level courses in high school and to career technical education. The state’s two-year budget allocates $170 million to increase graduation rates and $7.4 million to reduce chronic absenteeism. Full-day kindergarten also started in 2015 to try to help students’ long-term outcomes. ——— The Capital Bureau is a collaboration between EO Media Group and Pamplin Media Group. France passes law to ban all oil and gas production by 2040 PARIS (AP) — France's parliament has approved a law banning all explora- tion and production of oil and natural gas by 2040 within the country and its overseas territories. Under that law that passed a final vote on Tuesday, existing drilling permits will not be renewed and no new exploration licenses will be granted. The French govern- ment claims the ban is a world first. However, it is largely symbolic since oil and gas produced in France accounts for just 1 percent of domestic consumption. The rest is imported. Environment Minister Nicolas Hulot says the law shows “current gener- ations can take care of future generations.” The ban is part of a larger plan to wean the French economy from fossil fuels and to fulfill France's commitments under the Paris climate agreement to curb global warming. Staff photo by E.J. Harris This is the third year in a row that La Ley 99.5 FM general manager Gaudencio Filipe has performed his roof top publicity stunt to help families in need during the holiday season. ROOF: Has done the same stunt in Pasco for a few years Continued from 1A Staff photo by E.J. Harris La Ley 99.5 FM general manager Gaudencio Filipe talks on the phone while camped out on the roof of Fiesta Foods on Tuesday in Hermiston. poverty. People can donate items and drop them off at the La Ley van parked in front of the store, or can purchase food from Fiesta Foods and drop it off on their way out. Clara Bea Fitzgerald, a city councilor and member of the city’s Hispanic Advisory Committee, knows Felipe from her time broadcasting on the radio station’s “La Voz de Puebla,” giving information about city services, business, education and more. She said Felipe has done the same stunt at the Pasco Fiesta Foods for a few years now and decided to do it in Hermiston to collect more donations. “The reason he’s up there is he is transmitting live, and asking people to donate food and clothing for needy children,” she said. La Ley’s Facebook page shows video feeds Felipe has posted from the roof, conversing with Fiesta Foods shoppers down below. ——— Contact Jade McDowell at jmcdowell@eastorego- nian.com or 541-564-4536. COLLEGE: Ryan Lacey said it only gets harder after Year 1 Continued from 1A to join their student govern- ments at their future schools. Besides a way to get involved, Griffin said members of student government can earn money that can help toward tuition. Daysha Denight high- lighted the University of Oregon’s first-year interest groups, an optional program that groups 20 first-year students into three courses connected by an overarching theme. Denight’s group was called “Twelve Bars of Freedom” that explored the connections between the justice system and American blues music. “I feel like I know every- thing about American justice,” she said, smiling. “I don’t. But I feel smarter, and that’s what matters.” Multiple panelists warned the audience against getting complacent with student academics, especially if they failed to seek out help. “I feel like high school gives you a false idea of retakes,” said Haley Bradley, an Eastern Oregon University student. Bradley and several other panelists said their are no do-overs for failed exams, and one failed test could mean the difference between passing and failing a class. Unlike the panelists, Ryan Staff photo by E.J. Harris Abby Rinehart, center, talks about attending Oregon State University while sitting on a panel college students sharing their experience at college Tuesday with students at Pendleton High School. Lacey, a second-year student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida, has been at college for more than a few quarters or a single semester. He is part of the East Oregonian’s ongoing “Promise & Potential” series following eight local gradu- ates from the Class of 2016. Lacey’s advice echoed the panel’s in some ways. He suggested a gap year for anyone that needs time to learn how to manage their time independently. “How you do in college is largely dependent on how well you can manage yourself when no one else is watching,” he wrote in a text message. Lacey wrote that it only gets harder after Year 1, and if a student is starting to struggle with their introduc- tory courses, it might require refocusing their major. ——— Contact Antonio Sierra at asierra@eastoregonian.com or 541-966-0836. “How you do in college is largely dependent on how well you can manage yourself when no one else is watching.” — Ryan Lacey, a second-year student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University