Police arrest 2 men, seize 4 guns during North Salem drug investigation
A high-profile police action that disrupted morning commuting traffic in north Salem on Thursday resulted in the arrests of two men and recovery of four guns.
Michael A. Housen, 55, and Jasson L. Ray, 45, were arrested on accusations of possessing weapons as felons and on several outstanding warrants in other cases. Court records showed no new charges filed against the men as of Thursday evening.
Their arrests were part of what the Salem Police Department described in a news release as a long-term drug investigation.
Around 5 a.m. Thursday, Salem detectives and a SWAT team searched the home where the two lived in the 2700 block of Northeast Front Street, near Northeast Tryon Avenue.
Police arrested Housen “without incident,” according to the police statement. “Ray did not immediately exit but ultimately surrendered to authorities.”
Police said they seized four firearms and “small quantities” of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
The men were booked into the Marion County Jail, where they were still being held as of Thursday night, the jail’s roster showed.
Housen has criminal convictions dating back to 1987, including for robbery, burglary and forgery. He has a pending charge of driving under the influence of intoxicants in Washington County, court records showed.
Ray’s convictions stretch to 2013 and include intimidation, felony assault and escape. In the latter case, authorities said he fled from a prison work crew in Portland to the Eugene area, where he was arrested after an hours-long standoff at a mobile home park, according to reporting by the Oregonian/OregonLive.
Court records showed Ray has pending charges in several cases, including 130 charges of mail theft in Polk County.
Contact reporter Ardeshir Tabrizian: [email protected] or 503-929-3053.
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Ardeshir Tabrizian has covered the justice system and public safety for Salem Reporter since September 2021. As an Oregon native, his award-winning watchdog journalism has traversed the state. He has done reporting for The Oregonian, Eugene Weekly and Malheur Enterprise.
