Driver ID’d in fatal OSP shooting

Published 5:00 am Wednesday, September 4, 2013

The man killed Friday during a confrontation with Oregon State Police troopers has been identified as 34-year-old Texas resident William Edward Hall, according to Deschutes County District Attorney Patrick Flaherty.

Hall died after allegedly pointing a handgun at a state trooper and then leading police on a chase along U.S. Highway 20 between Suttle Lake and a gravel road southeast of Sisters.

Flaherty said Hall did not live in Bend and investigators are still determining what brought him to the area.

Hall’s last known residence was in Arlington, Texas, where, according to records obtained by The Bulletin, he had a criminal record that included convictions for assault, possession of marijuana, vehicle burglary, resisting arrest and criminal mischief. Among his convictions is a 2004 aggravated assault on a public servant.

Hall was pulled over by Oregon State Police around 11:50 a.m. Friday near Suttle Lake after OSP received a driving complaint. During the stop, Hall reportedly waved a gun at the trooper, then drove away, traveling east.

Troopers pursued Hall, and deployed a spike strip near Sisters. Hall left the highway traveling south on Harrington Loop Road, where a senior trooper used his patrol vehicle to wedge Hall’s vehicle between two patrol cars.

Once the vehicle was stopped, Hall again allegedly displayed his gun, and two troopers fired shots. The man was found dead in his vehicle. Flaherty said an autopsy has been completed but would not release any autopsy details or Hall’s cause of death.

No officers were injured during the incident, and Hall’s firearm was recovered at the scene. The names of the troopers have not been released, and both have been placed on administrative leave. One is a 42-year-old OSP major, employed with the department for 21 years. The other, a senior trooper, is 43 years old and has worked for OSP for 14 years.

Flaherty said the investigation, led by Bend Police, is ongoing.

Marketplace