BEND, OR -- Two nearly-simultaneous death investigations have Bend Police resources stretched thin, and have raised questions as to why it took so long for the public to be notified.
Also last week, police pulled a body from the Deschutes River near downtown Bend. His identity has not been released, but Chief Porter says investigators believe he hadn't been seen since mid-December. "There are times when we will not know whether we’re dealing with a natural death, a suicide, an accidental death or a homicide, until maybe two to three weeks into the investigation, depending on the surrounding situation." He says state law requires an investigation into any death that occurs outside of the direct supervision of a medical professional. Police do not believe the man's death was a result of foul play.
Alongside those two local investigations, Chief Porter says about a dozen of his officers participated in the Harney County investigation into the officer-involved shooting that led to the death of Robert "LaVoy" Finicum, as part of the Deschutes County Major Incident Team.