Salem, OR (17 March 2026) – On the morning of March 17, 2026, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office responded to two separate 911 calls received from 4758 State Street SE, in Salem. The first call occurred at approximately 6:13 a.m.; however, it was cleared after there was no response at the residence and there was no answer when deputies attempted to call back.
The second call occurred at approximately 6:54 a.m., and the caller indicated that they were being held hostage in a bathroom and disconnected the call.
Several deputies responded and entered the residence to conduct a welfare check. Shortly after entering, they contacted Juan Carlos Gomez-Valles (39) who was in possession of two knives. An altercation ensued, and at least one deputy fired, and Gomez-Valles was struck by a bullet. Deputies rendered immediate aid and Gomez-Valles was transported to Salem Hospital. He received medical care and is expected to recover from his injuries.
The involved deputies are Marion County Sheriff’s Deputies Alan Jefferson and Tyson Gardner. Both are recruit deputies and have been on the job for less than one year. Neither was injured in this incident.
Pursuant to Marion County protocol for deadly force incidents (Senate Bill 111 protocol) the Oregon State Police are investigating the incident with the assistance of the Salem and Keizer Police Departments. A judicial search warrant was obtained to search the residence and process the scene. The search warrant was signed by Marion County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Hart.
At the time of the incident Juan Carlos Gomez-Valles was on parole. He is currently in custody on a parole violation detainer.
The investigation is ongoing. No further information will be released to preserve a grand jury’s objective review of the incident pursuant to standard procedure.
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