PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A grand jury unanimously found that Deputy Jansen Bento was justified in the fatal shooting of Nathan Thomas Honeycutt during a traffic stop in Happy Valley, according to Clackamas County District Attorney John D. Wentworth.
On Sept. 27, around 2 a.m., Honeycutt was driving a Ford Ranger pickup without license plates around SE 145th and King, officials said. He didn’t stop to the lights-and-siren from the deputies and drove down a road with no outlet.
Authorities set up spike strips, which deflated 3 tires on the pickup as Honeycutt drove back from the dead end. But he kept going.
Deputies stopped the pickup at SE 145th and Ridgecrest and tried to take him into custody. He “resisted,” officials said, and pulled out a revolver. That’s when Deputy Bento opened fire.
Despite emergency efforts, Honeycutt died at the scene. The Hillsboro resident was 26.
The white Ford Ranger was later determined to be stolen, officials said.
The 3 deputies involved in the incident — Jansen Bento, Sam Tharpe and Matt Roach — were on administrative leave during the investigation, standard protocol in these situations. One of them suffered a slightly injured hand, officials said.
The investigation was led by the Clackamas County Major Crimes Team and the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.
The grand jury finished its review.