Appeals court: New trial for man who used slur — The Oregon Court of Appeals says a new trial is necessary for a man who contends a judge should have excluded evidence that he used a racial slur during an interview with police detectives. Wayne Roberts was convicted of first-degree assault after prosecutors said he stabbed another man at a light-rail station in Gresham in December 2014. Roberts said he acted in self-defense. Detectives interviewed Roberts the morning after his arrest. During their talk, Roberts used the N-word to describe a woman who had witnessed the fight. Over the objection of Roberts’ lawyer, that word was not scrubbed from a video shown to jurors. The Appeals Court said the slur could have influenced the jury, and it added nothing substantive to the case.

Man kills self while warrant is served — Authorities say a 20-year-old man was found dead in his home south of Portland after deputies heard a gunshot from inside while serving a warrant for his arrest. Deputies went to the home in Molalla around 12:40 p.m. Tuesday to serve the misdemeanor and check the man’s welfare, according to Clackamas County Sheriff’s Sgt. Brian Jensen. Jensen said a SWAT team was called after the gunshot was heard and that investigators believed he was still alive and barricaded inside. Jensen said authorities went into the home around 5:45 p.m. and found the man with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Man allegedly attacks 5 with propane tank — A man in Western Oregon was arrested after he allegedly attacked five people with a propane torch. Nathan Clark, 22, of Albany, was arrested Tuesday night after police responded to reports of an assault. Lebanon Police said Clark used the metal tank part of the torch to strike several people in a group who were gathered in an apartment complex parking lot in Lebanon. Police said the five people hit suffered cuts, bruises and other injuries but all declined going to a hospital. Clark is accused of assault, attempted assault and resisting arrest. A police report says that Clark’s statement to them was difficult to follow and that Clark said he believed he was defending himself from the others.