Category Public Safety
Salem mother tells of efforts to help son in moments before fatal police shooting
Content warning: Please be aware this article contains graphic descriptions of violence and suicidal thoughts. Jessica Rothgery begged her son to put down a shotgun he aimed at police last Friday evening as officers walked up the driveway to her southeast Salem house. As she…
Report of a kidnapping triggers pursuit through Salem that ends on railroad tracks
SUNDAY EVENING UPDATE: Witness accounts and a video have been added. A woman who yelled she was being kidnapped while riding in an SUV triggered a police pursuit Saturday evening through west Salem, downtown and ended when the driver stalled on railroad tracks in northeast…
Police shoot, kill suicidal man in south Salem Friday
A suicidal man armed with a shotgun was shot and killed by police in southeast Salem Friday evening, according to the Oregon State Police. The shooting occurred on Southeast Ewald Avenue near Southeast Ash Avenue. The name of the man, reported to be in his…
Chemeketa Community College eases speech rules following lawsuit
Chemeketa Community College on Thursday, April 16. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) Students at Chemeketa Community College can now more easily hold protests on campus after the college settled a lawsuit with a conservative legal group. Under the agreement, the college changed its policy that allowed students…
Salem protests end with arrests as police show heavy presence
Police keep back the crowd while making an arrest in downtown Salem during a far-right protest against Covid restrictions on Friday, Jan. 1. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) An “extremely dangerous” situation involving two New Year’s Day protests in Salem was kept under control by a heavy…
Police agencies brace for multiple protests in Salem on New Year’s Day
Oregon State Police, the Salem Police Department and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office plan extra staffing on New Year’s Day in anticipation of four separate protests. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter) This story was updated to include a petition to stop the planned march signed by more…
Protesters demanding end to Covid restrictions push into Capitol as Oregon special session gets underway
Protesters urging the “reopening of Oregon” gather outside the Capitol Dec. 21 as lawmakers met in a one-day special session to consider Covid relief measures (Jake Thomas/Salem Reporter) This article was updated at 11:36 a.m. Protesters, some armed, forced their way into the closed Capitol…
UPDATED | Arrests made as competing rallies form in Salem, drawing hundreds
A rally hosted by the Pacific Northwest Community Action Group, planned for the Capitol on Saturday, was shifted to Pringle Community Hall. Several hundred people gathered for what was billed as speeches and a march. (Saphara Harrell/Salem Reporter) UPDATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON: The Oregon State Police…
PHOTOS: Drone images capture fire destruction in Santiam Canyon
The Marion Forks Hatchery and Oregon Highway 22 as seen on Oct. 14 following massive wildfires (Ron Cooper/Salem Reporter) Marion County Commissioners voted Oct. 14 to waive building and septic permitting fees for homeowners rebuilding following wildfires in the Santiam Canyon. The announcement comes after…