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New diversion program aims to give
young arrestees a second chance
BY GARRETT ANDREWS
The Bulletin
In 2017, a 19-year-old Bend man
was charged with assault for toss-
ing a poop-emoji pillow at an elderly
woman shopping in a local depart-
ment store.
The young man said the act, which
his brother filmed, was part of an on-
line challenge, his former public de-
fender, Andrew Doyle, explained.
“It was kind of a silly case,” Doyle
said. “I never argued he didn’t injure
this person, who had some pre-ex-
isting conditions. But he was just a
dumb kid.”
Poll: White
extremist
views strong
in Oregon
Andrew
Doyle
stands in
front of
the De-
schutes
County
District
Attorney’s
Office on
Thursday.
Doyle’s client was charged in the
adult justice system, and Doyle ulti-
mately convinced a jury to acquit him.
But the client’s brother, who was un-
der 18, was prosecuted in the juvenile
system, and was therefore eligible for
a quieter conviction diversion process.
Ryan
Brennecke/
The Bulletin
See Diversion / A4
Central Oregon
COUNT SHOWS 13% RISE
IN HOMELESS POPULATION
Majority of state supports
multi cultural democracy
BY GARY A. WARNER
Oregon Capital Bureau
Nearly four in 10 Oregon residents
agree with statements aligned with
white extremist views, according to
a poll commissioned by a major pro-
gressive group released Thursday.
A majority of state residents sup-
port the ideals of a multicultural de-
mocracy, according to the survey con-
ducted by DHM Research.
The poll was commissioned by
the Western States Center, a Port-
land-based nonprofit that says its mis-
sion is to monitor extremism in the
region and work to “strengthen inclu-
sive democracy.”
The poll showed a “disturbingly”
sizable population in Oregon from
which extremists can gather follow-
ers and sympathizers, said Lindsay
Schubiner, program director at the
Western States Center.
“They are social movements
spreading bigotry to attain political
power,” Schubiner said.
Ron La Rue watches a video on his
phone shortly after checking in at the
homeless shelter located at 275 NE
Second St. in Bend, on Wednesday.
See Extremism / A6
Ryan Brennecke/The Bulletin
Wolf sighting
could be a
dog hybrid
Increase includes significant jump in homeless youth population
BY BRENNA VISSER
The Bulletin
T
he homeless population in Central
Oregon increased another 13%, ac-
cording to preliminary data from the
region’s Point-in-Time count, which includes
a significant increase in the number of home-
less youth in the region.
Reports spread online
BY MICHAEL KOHN
The Bulletin
See Hybrid / A4
TODAY’S
WEATHER
See Homeless / A4
Sheriff’s deputy resigns after 8-month investigation
BY GARRETT ANDREWS
The Bulletin
A Deschutes County Sheriff’s Of-
fice deputy who was under internal
investigation for eight months for
making inappropriate comments re-
tired before the investigation could
be completed, according to newly re-
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leased email records.
The sheriff’s office won’t reveal de-
tails of its case against Grant T. John-
stone, who told The Bulletin the ac-
cusation against him was true.
Johnstone worked for the sheriff’s
office from July 2013 until February,
when he retired after 25 years as a
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law enforcement officer.
}Johnstone began his career in law
enforcement in Alaska in 1995. Ten
years later, he was hired at Tualatin
Police Department, where he worked
until transferring to the Deschutes
County Sheriff’s Office. He was pro-
moted to sergeant in 2017.
A8
B8
B3-5
On April 17, 2020, a sheriff’s of-
fice employee complained Johnstone
made inappropriate statements. In
response, the sheriff’s office retained
an outside investigator to examine
the allegations, a sheriff’s spokesman
told The Bulletin.
See Deputy / A4
The Bulletin
An Independent Newspaper
We use
recycled
newsprint
Vol. 117, No. 329, 20 pages, 2 sections
DAILY
Possible wolf sightings around the
area of China Hat Road southeast of
Bend have been posted on social me-
dia sites this week, prompting the in-
terest of residents wondering if a wolf
has taken up residence in the area.
The Oregon Department of Fish
and Wildlife received a number of
wolf sighting reports in the area
around China Hat Road this week.
Andrew Walch, wildlife habitat bi-
ologist for the ODFW in Bend, has
seen photos and heard reports from
concerned residents but was unable
to confirm if the animal that had been
spotted was a wolf.
The data comes at a time when the is-
sue of homelessness is at the forefront of lo-
cal politics, as public bodies like the Bend
City Council are trying to handle a growing
homeless population.
The annual count is a snapshot in time
that shows how many people in Central Or-
egon were homeless on a single night in Jan-
uary. This year, 1,098 homeless people were
counted compared with 969 last year, accord-
ing to Colleen Thomas, Deschutes County’s
homeless services coordinator. A similar in-
crease of 12% was seen between 2019 and
2020.
“Even though it was a pandemic year, and
we had limited folks providing outreach out-
side of our normal routines, we still saw an
increase,” Thomas said.
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