Canby, OR. — Authorities have identified the man killed and the two police sergeants who opened fire during a Sept. 3 encounter outside a Canby apartment complex.
According to a Sept. 7 update from Clackamas County, Canby police responded at approximately 10:30 p.m. to a report that a man was attempting to force his way into an apartment at 259 S. Sequoia Parkway.
Officers contacted 34-year-old Mario Francisco Mendoza Jr. in the apartment complex parking lot and attempted to detain him, investigators said.
According to the county’s account, Mendoza did not follow officers’ verbal commands and fled on foot. During the brief pursuit, authorities say Mendoza turned toward the officers with a handgun drawn and fired at them.
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Canby Police Sgt. Britton Nelson and Sgt. Allen Miller returned fire, striking Mendoza. Authorities said the officers fired more than 20 shots. The county did not specify how many rounds each officer fired or how many times Mendoza was struck.
Officers provided emergency medical assistance until Canby Fire District personnel arrived and determined Mendoza was dead, according to the release. Authorities did not report any injuries to the officers or other people.
The encounter was recorded by police body-worn cameras. The footage has not been publicly released while the grand-jury process remains pending.
Nelson has worked for the Canby Police Department since 2016. Miller has served as a law enforcement officer since 2013 and joined the Canby department in 2017.
Both officers were placed on paid critical-incident leave, a standard step under department policy following a police shooting.
The Lake Oswego Police Department and Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office are leading the investigation in coordination with the Clackamas County Major Crimes Team.
Under the county’s critical-incident protocol, evidence from the investigation will be presented to a Clackamas County grand jury. Jurors will evaluate whether the officers’ use of deadly physical force complied with Oregon law.
Authorities said no additional information will be released until the grand-jury proceedings are complete. The account released Sept. 7 represents investigators’ preliminary description of the encounter.
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