May-11-2014 23:07

Witnesses: Veteran Took Final Police Bullet to Head on Her Hands and Knees, Execution Style

Tim King Salem-News.com

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ford's death is on-going and is led by the Oregon State Police Major Crimes Division.

25-year old Jacklynn Rashaun Ford, a military Veteran, was shot to death by a Salem Police officer.

(SALEM) - Salem Police are two for two. Officers in Oregon's Capital city have killed people in the line of duty twice in two weeks. They also had an officer unleash a deadly taser in recent days on a man with Asperger's Syndrome.

25-year old Jacklynn Rashaun Ford, a military Veteran who liked to wear her dog tags in pictures, was shot to death by a Salem Police officer named Trevor Morrison who was also a canine officer. Apparently the dog wasn't enough to subdue the woman during a traffic stop, it required multiple bullets.

Salem Police stated in a press release that, "As officers were attending to the suspect and securing the scene, a firearm was recovered from where the suspect was located."

According to Salem PD, the officer, "...made a traffic stop on a vehicle on Watson Ave NE near Alameda St NE at approximately 10:07 pm. A cover officer was requested, a foot pursuit ensued and shortly thereafter shots were fired and the suspect was wounded." The release says the dog, named Baco, was also involved in the pursuit.

Eric Pierce and Sherry Williams describe a shooting to Salem-News.com that sounds like it was conducted execution style. The two were held up in traffic during the traffic stop.

Pierce said, "We had pulled off the road and heard, Pow! Pow!"

"I looked over and saw (the) suspect fall, then heard the last shot when she was on her hands and knees, it was to the head," Williams said.

"She was heading into an open field and the cop was about five feet behind her when she was shot."

Marci McClellan, a relative of the fallen Veteran, wrote on Facebook, "...believe me when I say, 'My family is going to deal with the Salem Police in whatever means they feel is necessary. We've been told the investigation should be done by Monday we hope. Meanwhile its obvious tensions and emotions are running very high by many. Not from just all those that loved Jackie but even those that never knew her."

The Marion Co. District Attorney's Office reported Sunday that an autopsy was conducted at the Oregon State Medical Examiner's Office on Jacklynn Rashaun Ford, who was, "...killed Friday night, May 9, 2014 following an altercation with Salem Police in Eastgate Basin Park."

The autopsy was conducted by Oregon State Medical Examiner Dr. Karen Gunson. The cause of death was determined to be gunshot wounds to the head and chest.

One person who describes himself as an eyewitness, Michael D. Shelley, took exception to our story in an email today, stating:

"I don't know where this 'witness' was that she saw the woman fall and it was execution style but that could not be farther from the truth. There was no one else in the area. I live across the street and was the only eye witness. You can check with Salem police on that. Not sure if they will give my name or not.

"It's this kind of sensationalism that gets people in a state of fury. The woman was on her feet when she was shot... ALL 3 times."

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ford's death is on-going and is led by the Oregon State Police Major Crimes Division. No further information is available at this time pending the outcome of that investigation.

Tim King

11 May 2014