Man accused of shooting at officers in south Salem SWAT standoff
A Salem man is accused of attempted murder after police said he fired at officers responding to a burglary call Saturday afternoon in a residential area of northeast Salem.
Officers responded the 4300 block of 25th Ave. N.E. around 1:30 p.m. The man shot toward the officers, hitting one in a ballistic shield, according to a news release from the police department.
No officers were hit, though one sustained minor injuries due to debris from the gunfire, police said.
Salem’s SWAT team and crisis negotiators responded and negotiated with the man, who surrendered.
Police identified the suspect as Vincent Mendoza Chavez, 33. He is accused of attempted aggravated murder, attempted assault on a public safety officer, and unlawful use of a weapon, police said. He will be lodged at the Marion County Jail.
Oregon State Police assisted Salem with the call, while the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Keizer Police Department responded to Salem police calls during the incident.
The investigation is ongoing and police released no additional information.
Contact reporter Rachel Alexander: [email protected] or 503-575-1241.
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Rachel Alexander is Salem Reporter’s managing editor. She joined Salem Reporter when it was founded in 2018 and covers education, economic development and a little bit of everything else. She’s been a journalist in Oregon and Washington for over a decade and is a past president of Oregon's Society of Professional Journalists chapter. Outside of work, you can often find her gardening or with her nose buried in a book.
