pic: Chief Mike Krantz

Bend Police are offering more detail on technology used during last week’s suspect search. Officers were looking Thursday for a person who had eluded police, before making an arrest Friday. Chief Mike Krantz says Reverse 911 lets police send targeted alerts to people registered within a specific area near an active response. He says drones also help officers safely assess a scene before moving in. By getting an overhead view, police can locate a suspect, track their position, and guide officers in cautiously. Krantz tells KBND News those tools are improving safety for officers, suspects, and the community.

 

 

pic: Steve Gunnels, D.A.

Criminal cases are slowing in Deschutes County as more defendants are found unable to understand charges or help their attorneys. District Attorney Steve Gunnels says the county’s aid-and-assist docket has more than doubled in recent years — from 24 people in January 2020, to 36 in 2022, and 53 this year. Gunnels says the main bottleneck is limited space at the Oregon State Hospital, where defendants receive treatment aimed at restoring competency for trial. He says the growing strain reflects a broader rise in severe mental illness, creating delays locally and across the state.

Thursday afternoon around 4:45 pm, Saint Charles in Bend went into lockout after a phone call threatened a shooting.  Bend Police were on the way when they attempted to pull over a man near Northeast Neff Road and 27th Street who is wanted in connection with a July 7 domestic assault. The suspect ran from the vehicle into a nearby apartment complex. Officers set up a perimeter, used drones and K9s, and the County alerted nearly 2,000 nearby homes and businesses to stay indoors. The search was unsuccessful.  Police are still looking for a white man, 6-foot-1, 155 pounds, last seen wearing a black hat, black T-shirt and gray camouflage cargo shorts, with tattoos extending onto his neck. Anyone who sees him should call 911. The shooting threat to St. Charles was unrelated and unfounded.

 

credit: CO Daily News  
A Prineville family has filed a 26-million-dollar complaint against Knife River Corporation, claiming its Crook County gravel mine contaminated their well water and caused health and property problems. Central Oregon Daily News says Ashley and Michael McCormick are asking for damages, medical monitoring, clean water… and a halt to mining at the site.
Knife River denies responsibility, saying naturally occurring metals in groundwater are tied to the area’s volcanic history.

Central Oregon’s wildfire season is seeing a near-normal number of starts, but far fewer acres burned than usual. Forest Service spokesperson Kaitlyn Webb says summer heat is still creating concern, with vegetation drying out and becoming more likely to ignite. Crews have responded to 124 wildfires so far this year. Webb says the key difference is acreage: the 10-year average for this point in the season is about 19,000 acres burned, while this year’s total remains much lower. Public use restrictions remain in effect across Central Oregon as fire danger continues.