REGION
Tuesday, August 17, 2021
East Oregonian
A3
Pendleton police cagey on Friday night shooting details
shooting did not occur at
40 Taps. Everyone at 40
Taps is fine, we have been
PENDLETON — Pend-
closed for the night due to
leton Police Chief Chuck
where the unfortunate inci-
dent happened and ended in
Byram on Monday, Aug.
16, said he is being cautious
front of 40 Taps. Thank you
about releasing much more
for everyone’s concern.”
information on the Aug. 13
Police placed more
shooting that resulted in a
than a dozen numbered
gunshot wound to one male.
yellow plastic evidence
According to Byram, “an
markers over shell casings
altercation ensued” between
along Southwest Second
two individuals on foot and
Street between Frazer and
a male in a car in the area of
Emigrant avenues. Most
Southwest Emigrant Avenue
of the markers were in the
and Southwest Second
northeast corner of the
parking lot of Western Auto
Street. One of the two on
Home & Appliance, 320
foot drew a gun and fired
S.W. Emigrant Ave., around
multiple rounds at the car,
striking the male in the car
a white GMC Denali pickup.
once in the abdomen.
The driver of that pickup
The pair then f led on
did not want to give his name
foot, according to Byram,
but said the vehicle was not
and an ambulance took the
involved in the violence —
wounded male to CHI St.
he just made a poor calcu-
Anthony Hospital, Pendle-
lation about where to park.
ton.
He said he was work-
The police chief did not
ing nearby when he heard
have information about his
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian gunshots at 7:08 p.m. and
medical condition, nor did A law enforcement officer walks toward the scene of a shooting Friday, Aug. 13, 2021, at the corner of Southwest Emigrant drove after possible suspects
he release the identification Avenue and Southwest Second Street in downtown Pendleton.
because his pickup has a
of anyone involved. There
dashcam video. He claimed
also have been no reports of ing to witnesses, and ended Southwest Fourth Street. window and a flat rear tire, its Facebook page:
he even spoke to the victim
in front of 40 Taps, 337 The car had at least one also on the driver’s side.
“We appreciate all of of the shooting outside 40
any arrests.
The shooting occurred S.W. Emigrant Ave., where bullet hole in the body,
The popular establish- our friends and custom- Taps before police arrived
shortly after 7 p.m., accord- a black Honda stopped on a smashed driver’s side ment gave this statement on ers concerns, the recent and an ambulance whisked
him to a local hospital.
He then drove through
the Western Auto park-
ing lot and stopped at the
corner. But that was right in
the mass of bullet casings.
One casing, he said, ended
up stuck in the tread of his
tire because he drove over it.
Pendleton police, during
the initial investigation,
blocked of f Em ig ra nt
Avenue between Southwest
Second and Fourth streets.
As the investigation contin-
ued, police narrowed the
area of most of the Western
Auto parking lot and also
brought in Oregon State
Police to assist with the
investigation.
Byram said the case
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian
remains a top priority for
Law enforcement officers walk along Southwest Second
Ben Lonergan/East Oregonian Pendleton police, and he
Street on Friday, Aug. 13, 2021, at the scene of a shooting in A damaged Honda on Friday, Aug. 13, 2021, sits at the corner of Southwest Emigrant Avenue hopes to soon be able to
downtown Pendleton.
and Southwest Fourth Street near the scene of a shooting in downtown Pendleton.
share more information.
By PHIL WRIGHT
East Oregonian
Pendleton man’s Walla Walla assault case ‘reads like an Old Western’
Judge Brandon L.
Johnson denies
lower bail request,
bail remains at
$150,000
By JEDIDIAH MAYNES
Walla Walla Union-Bulletin
WALLA WALLA — A
Pendleton man accused of
gathering a group of people
and attacking a man in
Walla Walla he suspected
of stealing his vehicle was
denied a request for a lower
bail amount in Walla Walla
County Superior Court
recently as prosecutors
alluded to more charges
coming for his “posse.”
Charles Thompkins Jr., 63,
requested a $30,000 bail — or
$3,000 cash — Wednesday,
Aug. 11, but Judge Bran-
don L. Johnson denied the
request and stayed the bail at
$150,000 at the suggestion of
prosecutors.
However, Johnson did
allow for a 10% cash equiva-
lent and had Thompkins sign
a form establishing condi-
tions of his release in case he
posted the $15,000.
Thompkins still was listed
on the Walla Walla County
Jail roster Aug. 15.
Thompkins is accused of
gathering a group of friends
and family to rally against a
man he said stole a vehicle
from him, according to court
documents.
Walla Walla County Sher-
iff’s Office deputies began
their investigation in early
July and arrested Thompkins
on Aug. 8. He’s expected to
be the first of many arrested
in this case, prosecutors said.
“This particular case reads
like an Old Western,” Walla
Walla County Deputy Pros-
ecuting Attorney Jennine
Christensen said, claiming
Thompkins “gathered up a
posse” with weapons and
drove into Walla Walla with
malicious intentions.
Police use stun gun to take down
Hermiston robbery suspect
First attempt with
Taser didn’t stick
in chip aisle at
local store
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — Herm-
iston police reported an offi-
cer on Friday, Aug. 13, used
a stun gun to take down a
suspect who tried to pull off
an armed robbery at a local
restaurant.
Lamberto Chairez Soto,
31, of Hermiston, faces
numerous criminal counts,
Hermiston police reported,
in connection to the events
that began unfolding shortly
after 5 p.m. that day,
A 911 call at 5:11 p.m.
from Tienda La Comadre,
547 E. Main St., Hermis-
ton, reported a male bran-
dishing a handgun entered
the restaurant and yelled in
Spanish for everyone to put
up their hands.
“The armed business
owner defended himself,
and the suspect f led the
store,” according to the
repor t from Her miston
police.
The suspect took off
running northeast from the
front of the business. Police
began looking for a stocky
Hispanic man about 30
years old wearing a white
shirt and jeans, based on a
description of the suspect.
Officers canvassed the
area and located a 53-year-
old woman who lives on the
600 block of East Gladys
Avenue. She gave a similar
description of the male and
reported he knocked on her
door.
She told police she
opened the door, and a
male showed a handgun
and forced himself into her
home, striking her in the
head and demanding money.
The suspect took her phone,
keys and vehicle, a 2017
black Ford SUV.
Soon after, a Hermiston
officer spotted the vehicle
unoccupied at the Southgate
Village Apartments, 1150 S.
First St.
“Upon speaking with
people in the area, video
of the suspect exiting the
car was located on a Ring
camera from one of the
persons living at Southgate
Village and shared with
responding officers,” police
reported.
A Hermiston officer found
Soto in the potato chip aisle
at Safeway and attempted to
detain him. Soto, according
to police, resisted and the
officer tried to stun him with
a Taser. The darts, however,
did not make full contact and
Soto fled on foot.
The officer chased Soto
out of Safeway, and an
Oregon State Police trooper
joined the rundown. The foot
chase crossed Highway 395
and entered the parking lot
of Pho Quan Vietnamese,
where the trooper pulled out
and fired a Taser.
“The deployment was
successful and the suspect
was taken into custody,”
Hermiston police reported.
Police identified the
man as Soto, and found
he had a no-bail warrant
out of the Oregon Depart-
ment of Corrections. Police
booked Soto in the county
jail on the following cases
and charges: three counts
of first-degree robbery, two
counts of unlawful use of a
weapon and one count each
of first-degree kidnapping,
pointing a firearm at another,
vehicle theft, second-degree
theft and the Department of
Corrections warrant.
Christensen said she
was aware of about nine
more probable cause state-
ments from law enforce-
ment being submitted to her
office in reference to the case
recently.
Christensen said the bail
should remain high because
she had “major concerns”
that Thompkins could influ-
ence his family and intim-
idate witnesses if he were
released.
A couple dozen people
came to court for Thomp-
kins’ hearing. His attorney,
Nicholas Holce, said they
were mostly family members
who were desperate to have
Thompkins released so he
could continue running the
family business.
The judge said while he
acknowledged Thompkins is
innocent until proven guilty,
all he had to base his deci-
sion off was the submitted
statement by deputies, which
he said raised disturbing
allegations.
“When someone steals
your car, you call the police,”
Johnson said. “You don’t get
your own help.”
Ch r istensen said at
least one of the three
alleged victims would have
long-lasting damage to his
face.
According to court docu-
ments, Thompkins and 10
people, including his sons,
drove from Pendleton to
the 100 block of Prospect
Avenue and confronted the
man he believed stole from
him.
The group then allegedly
beat the man and two other
men after intimidating them
with loaded guns, according
to the documents. One of the
alleged victims had to have
surgery for multiple breaks
and fractures on his face and
skull, documents noted.
Thompkins is charged
with first-degree robbery,
three counts of first-de-
gree assault, first-degree
burglary, criminal mischief
and harassment.
LOCAL BRIEFING
Hermiston man
Stanfield City
dies in ATV crash Council mulls
M EACH A M — T he livestock
Umatilla County Sheriff’s ordinance
Office reported an all-terrain
vehicle crash Friday, Aug.
13, took the life of a Herm-
iston man.
The crash also injured a
13-year-old passenger.
The Umatilla County
Sheriff’s Dispatch Center
at about 2:40 p.m. received
a 911 call reporting two
people were injured in an
ATV accident. Sheriff’s
deputies and Oregon State
Police responded to the
area of Jordan Circle Lane
and Meacham Lake near
Meacham. A mbulances
from the Pendleton Fire
Department and Umatilla
Tribal Fire Department also
rushed to the scene.
According to the sheriff’s
office, Cesar Ambriz, 20, of
Hermiston, was the operator
of the vehicle, and medics on
scene confirmed he died.
An ambulance took the
13-year-old passenger to
CHI St. Anthony Hospital,
Pendleton.
The ATV was traveling
on gravel when it went off
the road and rolled during
a turn.
Umatilla County Search
and Rescue also responded
and assisted with recovery.
STANFIELD — The
Stanfield City Council plans
to discuss the city’s process
for allowing residents to keep
livestock, poultry and bees in
the city limits.
The council meets Tues-
day, Aug. 17, at 6 p.m. at the
council chambers, 150 W. Coe
Ave.
City Manager Benja-
min Burgener said the city
has a permitting process for
keeping livestock, including
for bees, which the council
wanted to take a look at possi-
bly updating.
But in the course of that,
he said, the council opted to
consider if other parts of the
local law need revising. For
example, he said, perhaps
the ordinance could exclude
permits for smaller animals,
such as rabbits.
The council is not making
decisions at its meeting this
week to overhaul the permit-
ting process, Burgener said,
but the talks could lead to such
consideration. Updating the
local law would involve public
hearings, he said.
In another matter, the
council is considering designs
for street lights along Main
Street, which is part of the
Oregon Department of Trans-
portation’s ongoing upgrades
in the area.
Overall, Burgener said,
this looks to be a rather mild
meeting.
For more information, visit
cityofstanfield.com.
County considers
UGB request
PENDLETON — The
Umatilla County Board of
Commissioners is consider-
ing a request to expand the
urban growth boundary when
it meets Wednesday, Aug. 18,
at the Umatilla County Court-
house, Pendleton.
The city of Umatilla wants
the county to co-adopt a
change to the city’s UGB that
would add 150 acres of bound-
ary, which then the city would
annex for light industrial use.
The board also plans to
consider a community justice
grant application, a commu-
nity corrections plan and a
payment for annual mainte-
nance and license for software
for the Community Develop-
mental Disabilities Program.
The meeting includes an
executive session regarding
employment.
The meeting is open to the
public and begins at 9 a.m.
— EO Media Group