NEWS
MyEagleNews.com
Wednesday, April 6, 2022
A5
OSP ‘devastated’ by trooper’s loss
By RONALD BOND
Wallowa County Chieftain
LA GRANDE — Members of the
Oregon State Police are reeling after
the sudden loss of one of their own last
week.
“It’s devastated our region,” retired
OSP patrol Sgt. Kyle Hove said of the
death of Marcus McDowell. “He has
friends all over, not just Union County
(and) Wallowa County. He has friends
in Baker, Umatilla (counties) — he has
worked the whole state.”
McDowell, 48, was found dead in
his patrol vehicle in front of his Joseph
home Tuesday afternoon, March 29, of
a single gunshot wound to the head.
An investigation determined the
gunshot wound to be self-infl icted.
OSP stated McDowell was on duty at
the time of his death.
“Our hearts go out to his family,
friends, and co-workers as they cope
with this tragic incident,” OSP said in
a statement March 31.
Those who worked with McDowell
remembered him for his strong work
ethic, for his smiling
personality, for being
a friend, and for car-
ing for those around
him during an OSP
career that spanned
17½ years.
McDowell
“He was a won-
derful human being,”
said La Grande-based East Region
Capt. Daniel Conner. “He is going to
be sorely missed by everybody for a
long time.”
McDowell spent the majority of his
career in Union and Wallowa coun-
ties, but got his start with OSP Sept.
1, 2004, being initially assigned to the
John Day outpost, Conner said. He
was later transferred to La Grande and
worked out of Northeastern Oregon for
the rest of his career.
“Marcus has always been a very
motivated and driven state trooper,”
said Conner, who has been with OSP
since 2005 and said he knew McDow-
ell most of his career. “He’s got a very
good work ethic. He comes to work
ready to go, always gives 110%.”
McDowell spent fi ve years as a
police dog handler based in La Grande,
and followed that with fi ve years in
the Fish and Wildlife division. He also
spent time in drug interdiction, where
on patrol he would search for vehi-
cles suspected of transporting illegal
substances, seeking to disrupt drug
traffi cking.
“Marcus, he loved his job,” said
Hove, who McDowell replaced as
patrol sergeant for the La Grande area
in March 2020. “He was a hard worker.
He was very productive. He was active
in the community. Back when we were
doing interdiction and stuff on the free-
way, he was so good at his job. He has
some incredible seizures of all kinds of
diff erent things.”
Kainoa Delatori, who worked with
McDowell the entirety of his six-year
OSP career, and even prior during
a stint with La Grande Police, said
McDowell was the “resident expert”
when it came to drug interdiction work,
and someone he would consult often.
“We talk on a daily basis,” Dela-
tori said. “I would pick his brain when
it came to work on (interdiction) stuff .
We got pretty close the last couple
years.”
Delatori also commented on
McDowell’s impeccable work ethic,
and called him a man with whom you
knew where you stood.
“That’s one of the things I respect
most out of Marcus,” Delatori said of
McDowell’s work. “After that long,
a lot of people get burned out or they
fade off . (But) he had the most stops in
the offi ce month in and month out. One
thing I really looked up to him (for) is
his work ethic. He would actually put
in the work.”
Hove described McDowell as the
person called on when an extra hand
was needed on a scene. He said he was
always available, whether early in the
morning or late in the evening.
“He’s the guy who would always be
at work, always be there,” he said. “He
was the guy you called. … Say you’re
working a case, whatever the case may
be, Marcus would always stop by and
see if you needed any help.”
Delatori, who was one of the OSP
troopers to respond to the scene in
Joseph, called the loss of his friend a
shock.
“It’s something that I pray in the
next 20 years of my career I never have
to deal with again,” he said.
Conner said in losing McDow-
ell, the OSP is losing an “upstanding
individual.”
“We’re losing a great friend,
employee, a supervisor, just a mentor
in general to others, a leader — Marcus
is all of those things,” he said. “More
importantly, he’s just a friend. It’s tak-
ing a devastating toll on all of us that
have worked with him over the years.
It’s hard to deal with. It’s very diffi cult
to deal with a loss.”
Hove described him as the one you
wanted out working the job.
“He was always doing good,” he
said. “All these guys do good, but Mar-
cus was exceptional.”
And for Delatori, the loss of a
driven friend is only going to push him.
“I think it’s going to make me work
harder now,” he said. “I think that is
what he would have wanted.”
COPS AND COURTS
Arrests and citations in
the Blue Mountain Eagle are
taken from the logs of law
enforcement agencies. Every
eff ort is made to report the
court disposition of arrest
cases.
Oregon State Police
March 10
9:17 a.m.: A trooper
responded to North Can-
yon Boulevard in John Day
for a sick deer. The deer was
severely emaciated. The
trooper put the deer down and
disposed of it in the Prairie
City compost pit.
March 11
1:31 p.m.: A trooper
responded to Highway 395
North near milepost 77B for
an abandoned vehicle. The
car, a 1991 Honda Accord,
was towed from the scene.
March 14
6:13 p.m.: Traffi c stop,
Main and Dayton streets, John
Day. A trooper stopped the
operator of an electric scooter
for riding into oncoming traf-
fi c and running a red light.
The man reportedly admitted
to having used marijuana dabs
and submitted to a fi eld sobri-
ety test. David Wesly Burke,
27, of John Day was arrested
on a charge of driving under
the infl uence of cannabis and
cited for refusing a urine test,
failure to obey a traffi c control
device, improper operation of
a motor-assisted scooter in a
lane and unsafe operation of
a motor-assisted scooter on
a sidewalk. He was booked
at the Grant County Jail and
released.
March 16
3:11 p.m.: A trooper made
contact with a woman on
Highway 26 near milepost
131 and took her into cus-
tody on multiple outstanding
arrest warrants. As the trooper
was attempting to fasten the
woman’s seat belt, she report-
edly kicked him in the mouth.
Somer Lee Robinson, 33, of
Dayville was arrested on a
charge of assaulting a pub-
lic safety offi cer and fi ve out-
standing Grant County war-
rants. She was lodged in the
Grant County Jail.
March 20
1:15 p.m.: A trooper
responded to Highway 26
near milepost 166 for a sin-
gle-vehicle crash. A 27-year-
old man was driving east in a
silver Honda CRV with three
passengers when a toddler
in the back seat opened the
back door, causing the driver
to swerve off the edge of the
road and overcorrect. The
vehicle spun across the high-
way, went through a fence and
came to rest in a fi eld. No one
was injured, and the vehicle
was able to be driven from the
scene.
March 26
7:05 p.m.: A trooper
stopped a vehicle on High-
way 26 near milepost 166 for
a safety violation, gave the
driver a fi eld sobriety test and
took him into custody, report-
edly after a struggle. The
driver was reportedly in pos-
session of a pistol, a dagger,
an assisted-opening knife, a
Taser and a large quantity (5
grams or more) of fentanyl.
Tyler Scott Karr, 30, was
arrested on charges of DUII-
drugs, resisting arrest, pos-
session of fentanyl and three
counts of felon in possession
of a restricted weapon. He was
booked into the Grant County
Jail.
March 28
9:36 p.m.: A trooper
stopped a pickup that was
driving without headlights on
Highway 26 near milepost
164. Justin Alan Scheidegger,
27, of John Day was arrested
on charges of driving while
suspended and resisting arrest.
March 29
9:29 p.m.: A trooper
stopped an Oldsmobile Aurora
for a traffi c violation on High-
way 26 near milepost 154.
Dakota Charles Stout, 27, of
John Day was cited for driv-
ing while suspended, driving
uninsured and failure to dis-
play license plates. The car
was impounded. The same
trooper had stopped the same
driver and impounded the
same vehicle within the previ-
ous month.
March 30
10:58 p.m.: A trooper
responded to Highway 395
South near milepost 13 for a
single-vehicle crash. A Pon-
tiac Grand Prix traveling
southbound reportedly lost
control, left the road and went
25 feet down the bank. The
driver, whose identity was
unknown, had reportedly been
driven to John Day by a pass-
er-by. The car was towed from
the scene.
Grant County Sheriff
The Grant County Sher-
iff ’s Offi ce reported the fol-
lowing for the week ending
March 30:
Concealed
handgun
licenses: 4
Average inmates: 11
Bookings: 8
Releases: 12
Arrests: 1
Citations: 0
Fingerprints: 6
Civil papers: 5
Warrants processed: 5
Asst./welfare check: 1
Search and rescue: 0
Justice Court
The Grant County Justice
Court reported the following
activity for the week ending
March 30:
Cases on probation: 49
Traffi c citations fi led: 6
Violations fi led: 2
Small claims in favor of
plaintiff : 1
Cases to collections: 25
Hearings held: 6
License suspensions: 3
Violation of the basic rule:
Chester Born, 69, John Day,
March 2, 75/55 zone, fi ned
$165; Kassidy L. Williams,
21, Canyon City, March 4,
49/35 zone, fi ned $165; Stacy
Lee Durych, 54, John Day,
Feb. 25, 50/30 zone, fi ned
$265; Julie D. Browning, 49,
Gladstone, March 19, 71/55
zone, fi ned $165.
Exceeding the speed limit:
Ariana Mignon Reyes, 31,
Madras, Dec. 17, 82/65 zone,
fi ned $265; Samuel J. Bag-
genstos, 28, Salem, March
5, 51/35 zone, fi ned $165;
Leo Buzzard III, 57, Mt. Ver-
non, 47/25 zone, fi ned $225;
Mathew Graham LeMay, 36,
Burien, Washington, Jan. 22,
60/35 zone, fi ned $265; Tra-
vis Benjamin Farr, 29, Mt.
Vernon, Nov. 14, 28/20 zone,
fi ned $115.
Driving while suspended:
Kelly Rene Baker, 47, Prai-
rie City, Jan. 28, fi ned $440;
Caleb J. Vielma, 32, John Day,
Aug. 7, fi ned $440.
Driving uninsured: Celeste
Donna Lee, 30, John Day,
May 8, $265; Kelly Rene
Baker, 47, Prairie City, Jan.
28, fi ned $265; Ted Christo-
pher Foltz Tipton, 51, Sisters,
Oct. 4, fi ned $265; Caleb J.
Vielma, 32, John Day, Aug. 7,
fi ned $265.
Failure to register vehicle:
Ted Christopher Foltz Tipton,
51, Sisters, Oct. 4, fi ned $115.
Failure to install ignition
interlock device: Travis Ben-
jamin Farr, 29, Mt. Vernon,
Nov. 14, fi ned $440.
Failure to drive within
lane: Marvin C. Crist, 75,
Long Creek, Jan. 31, fi ned
$265.
Dispatch
Grant County dispatch
worked 109 calls during
the week ending April 1,
including:
• Grant County Sheriff ’s
Offi ce
March 25
4:11 p.m.: Responded with
OSP to Baldy Mountain Road
for a report if trespassing
and a possible drink driver.
Unfounded.
6:54 p.m.: Advised of
small children playing in West
Main Street, John Day.
March 26
5:43 p.m.: Advised of a
lost dog at Riverside Mobile
Home Park, John Day.
9:36 p.m.:
Responded
to Riverside Mobile Home
Park, John Day. Mathew Paul
Walker, 38, of John Day was
arrested on charges of vio-
lating a restraining order and
criminal mischief.
10:06 p.m.:
Responded
to Northwest Johnson Street,
Prairie City, for a noise
complaint.
March 27
10:47 a.m.: Responded to
Northwest Bridge Street, John
Day, for an unattended death.
3:25 p.m.: Took a report
of a theft from the Dayville
Mercantile.
6:05 p.m.: Responded to
Silvies Ranch near Seneca to
assist a member of the pub-
lic in locating an abandoned
vehicle.
10:25 p.m.:
Responded
to East Ninth Street, Prairie
City, for multiple reports of a
dispute.
March 28
12:08 a.m.: Responded to
the Outpost, John Day, for a
reported domestic dispute.
Unfounded.
7:37 a.m.: Responded to
Dog Patch lane east of John
Day for a driving complaint.
12:39 p.m.: Responded to
Dayton Street, John Day, for a
driving complaint.
12:34 p.m.: Responded to
Ingle Creek Road, Mt. Ver-
non, for a suspicious vehicle.
6:24 p.m.: Responded to
Lower Yard Road, John Day,
for a report of someone point-
ing a fi rearm at another per-
son. Unfounded.
March 29
10:23 a.m.:
Responded
to South Canyon Boulevard,
John Day, for a fraud report.
Unfounded.
12:33 p.m.: Responded to
Dayville Mini Mart for theft
of services.
12:40 p.m.: Responded to
Humbolt Elementary, John
Day, for a suspicious person.
March 30
7:03 p.m.: Responded to
West Franklin Avenue, Day-
ville, for a civil problem.
1:28 p.m.: Responded to
Southwest First Avenue, John
Day, for a theft report.
April 1
1:08 p.m.: Responded to
South Washington Street,
Canyon City, for a theft report.
1:25 p.m.: Responded to
Front St., Prairie City, for an
abandoned vehicle.
• John Day Ambulance
March 25
5:41 p.m.: Dispatched to
Hansen Lane for a 95-year-
old woman with a fall injury.
8:38 pm.: Dispatched to
Northwest Bridge Street for a
99-year-old woman with a fall
injury.
March 26
11:34 a.m.: Dispatched to
Northwest Bridge Street for a
99-year-old female with a fall
injury.
4:17 p.m.: Dispatched to
Seventh Street for an 83-year-
old woman with a fall injury.
7:48 p.m.: Responded to
Highway 26 near milepost
166 at the request of OSP for
a male patient with a medical
issue.
March 27
8:56 a.m.: Responded to
Valley View Assisted Living
for a female with a medical
issue.
1:05 p.m.: Dispatched to
Valley View Drive for a med-
ical alarm.
March 28
5:42 p.m.: Dispatched to
Len’s Pharmacy for a man
with a fall injury.
March 29
3:28 p.m.:
Dispatched
to Highway 395 South and
Marysville Road, Canyon
City, for a female with diffi -
culty breathing.
March 30
5:50 p.m.: Dispatched to
Valley View Assisted Living
for an 83-year-old female with
severe chest pains and short-
ness of breath.
7:55 p.m.: Patient transfer
at the airport.
10:52 p.m.:
Responded
with GCSO and OSP to High-
way 395 South near mile-
post 13 for a single-vehicle
accident.
March 31
12:13 a.m.: Dispatched to
Meadowbrook Apartments for
a 72-year-old man with diffi -
culty breathing.
9:52 p.m.: Dispatched to
Blue Mountain Care Center,
Prairie City, for an 81-year-
old female with a high fever.
April 1
7:17 a.m.: Dispatched to
South Main Street, Prairie
City, for an 81-year-old male
with severe weakness.
• Seneca Ambulance
March 26
6:10 a.m.: Dispatched to
E Street for an 83-year-old
man with a severe nosebleed.
John Day Ambulance also
responded.
• Prairie City Ambulance
2:44 pm.: Dispatched to
North Johnson Street for a
female with diffi culty breath-
ing. John Day Ambulance also
responded.
OTEC wants to congratulate
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for trade school!
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JOHN
ROWELL
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