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51 °F Forecast | Road Cams Saturday, March 12, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend March 9, 2005 Men charged with attempted murder Charges stem from shots allegedly fired at sheriff’s deputies last month By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune A man who allegedly shot at sheriff’s deputies last month while trying to outrun them on Savage Creek Road is charged with attempting to murder the officers. A Josephine County sheriff’s detective shot and wounded Michael James Murray after he allegedly stole a Caterpillar log skidder and drove it through fences, creeks and several properties off Savage Creek Road on Feb. 20. Sitting in a wheelchair, Murray, 41, appeared Tuesday in Jackson County Circuit Court to hear the charges against him. He was lodged in the Jackson County Jail Monday upon his release from Rogue Valley Medical Center, where he spent more than two weeks recovering from a gunshot wound to his neck. Murray is able to walk but very slowly, said Capt. Rod Countryman of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. A 2-inch-long scab showed on Murray’s neck above his green jail uniform Tuesday. The right side of his face swollen, Murray barely moved his mouth as he mumbled that he understood the charges. Murray, who has no known address, and 35-year-old Grants Pass resident Mark Louis Tripp, who police said drove the fleeing car, each face six counts of attempted aggravated murder for shots fired at Josephine County sheriff’s deputies Michael Burke and Josh White. They also are charged with five counts of attempted murder for shots fired at a reserve officer riding in Burke’s car, said Matt Chancellor, deputy district attorney for Jackson County. None of the three men was injured. Advertisement The crime of attempted aggravated murder applies because the victims are sworn police officers, Chancellor added. If convicted, Murray and Tripp would be subject to a mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison. A Jackson County grand jury indicted the two men on Feb. 24, but the secret document was not open to the public until Tuesday. Police investigators said Murray fired a shotgun at Burke and White from a Ford Bronco during a high-speed chase on rural Jackson and Josephine county roads. Tripp sped away from deputies at about 3 a.m. after failing to stop for a traffic violation on Rogue River Highway, investigators said. The Bronco crashed into a gate in the 1900 block of Savage Creek Road, in Jackson County, and both men tried to flee, police said. Tripp was captured after a short foot chase, but police did not find Murray until about 8:30 a.m. when they spotted him operating a log skidder on property off Savage Creek Road. Sheriff’s detective Sean Valdez fired several shots in Murray’s direction, officials said. Murray stopped the skidder and was arrested. He apparently was unarmed at the time. "I was sufficiently satisfied that it was a good shoot," said Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel, adding that the shooting was in line with department policy. "This guy was endangering houses out there and lots of people," Daniel said. "You’ve got to stop him some way, and there’s not a lot of ways to stop him." The Caterpillar constituted a dangerous weapon in the hands of Murray, the sheriff said. Although their actions remain under investigation, Valdez, Burke and White returned to work last week after receiving counseling, Daniel said. The three had been on administrative leave. Chancellor said the shooting will be referred to a Josephine County grand jury for review. Murray faces eight additional charges, including two counts of attempted first-degree assault, three counts of second-degree criminal mischief and one count each of unlawful use of a weapon, being a felon in possession of a firearm and unauthorized use of a vehicle. His bail was set at $1 million. Murray’s criminal record includes convictions for attempted first-degree arson, aggravated first-degree theft, attempted escape and resisting arrest. Family members said he had a methamphetamine addiction. Tripp faces additional counts of attempting to elude police in a vehicle and on foot, resisting arrest, reckless driving and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He remains in the Josephine County Jail on unrelated charges of identity theft and forgery. Reach reporter Sarah Lemonat 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress Advertisement s