Michael Reinoehl
was on the run. He had been named as the
suspect in the killing of a right-wing
demonstrator in Portland, and had fled to
Lacey, Wash., a suburb of Olympia. On Sept. 3,
he is staying here in an apartment authorities
say belongs to Nate Dinguss. It’s just after 6:50 p.m.,
and Reinoehl begins the 100-foot walk to
his Volkswagen station wagon. U.S. Marshals, alongside
officers from local agencies, are parked in several nearby
vehicles, including here, watching his movements. Reinoehl is only carrying
a cellphone and a bag in his hands,
says Dinguss, who is watching from
the parking lot. As Reinoehl reaches his
car, two unmarked vehicles speed toward him. The S.U.V.s stop a foot from
the Volkswagen’s bumper, boxing it in. Four officers jump out. The officers claim that they
shout, “Stop! Police!” But Dinguss and
four other eyewitnesses, who are standing
here, here and here, say they don’t hear the
officers shout any warnings or commands before firing. In the statements they’ve
provided to investigators, officers have given
differing accounts. One officer claims he sees
Reinoehl, inside the car, raise something that
looks like a weapon. But two other officers say
only that Reinoehl makes, quote, “furtive movements”
toward the center console. They open fire, and bullets
pierce the driver’s side of the Volkswagen’s
windshield, hitting Reinoehl, according to investigators. The bullet casings are visible
here, just a few feet away. A 911 dispatch conveys
the chaos of the scene. Reinoehl is wounded,
but he manages to flee the Volkswagen. Officers continue to fire. Reinoehl steps from behind
a truck and into the street. One officer claims that
Reinoehl raises a handgun. But other officers
say that Reinoehl only reaches toward his pocket. A fifth officer arrives
here, in this area, and opens fire along
with the others. Reinoehl falls. None of the eyewitnesses on
the street has a clear view. According to investigators,
four officers fired their weapons
around 30 times. Investigators won’t say how
many times Reinoehl was shot. But The Times
visited the scene, and reviewed dozens
of videos and images. We found that at
least eight bullets hit civilian property. Some of them flew right
by 8-year-old Silas Louis, who’d been riding
his bike in the road. Others blew out the
windows of a nearby car. At least five bullets hit
the wall and the fence of Angel Romero’s home. One went through
his dining room, nearly hitting his brother. Officers say they find
a .380-caliber handgun in the right front pocket
of Reinoehl’s pants, his hand on or
near the weapon. Though police never contend
that Reinoehl fired a weapon, inside the
Volkswagen, they find a bullet casing matching
that handgun’s caliber. Investigators say it could
be up to three months before crime lab
results can prove whether that
bullet casing actually matches Reinoehl’s gun. But they also say there is no
other evidence that Reinoehl fired at the officers.
