Scuffle ends with beating and gunshot - November 21, 2004

Mail Tribune (Medford, OR — Wayback)

2004-11-26

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46 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, November 25, 2004   Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery   SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries   Life   Opinion - Politics   Tempo   AP News   Weather   Classified   Archives   Site Map   SPECIAL SECTIONS   Since We Asked   Outdoor Journal   Menu Guide   How To Guide   Wellness Connection   Readers' Choice   Real Estate Showcase   Joy Magazine   Homelife Magazine   Wedding Guide   Passport to the Rogue Valley   EXTRA   Newspaper in Education   Personals   Movie Times   TV Times   E The People   MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad  eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities   Entertainment   Publications   Recreation   Calendar   CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit   Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 21, 2004 Scuffle ends with beating and gunshot By JACK MORAN Mail Tribune No arrests have been made in connection with a Friday night incident in west Medford in which a man was beaten with a baseball bat and shot at before his assailants fled. At least one gunshot was fired at a 26-year-old man during an altercation involving several men near the intersection of Haven and Woodstock streets, Medford police Sgt. Brett Johnson said. The victim suffered head injuries as a result of being struck with a baseball bat but refused medical treatment at the scene. He later went to a hospital on his own, Johnson said. When investigators questioned him, he resisted their efforts to learn more about the apparent attack. "He was not cooperative with us," Johnson said. "We’re hoping to go back and get some additional information out of him. (Witnesses) are giving us a lot of different information we have to track down before we make any arrests." Advertisement The suspects were described as Hispanic males in their teens or 20s, Medford police Lt. Mike Moran said. More than a dozen officers arrived at the scene shortly after getting a report of a gunshot at about 5:30 p.m. They set up a perimeter and called on police dog Tiko to track down the suspects. Tiko led police to a house in the 300 block of Haven Street, where several men were staying. Officers surrounded the home and detained two men there. They were questioned and later released, Johnson said. Police obtained a search warrant and seized a 9 mm handgun from the residence. A 16-year-old boy at the home was cited for unlawful possession of a weapon. Johnson said investigators are looking into the possibility that the handgun was used in the shooting. Officers found one bullet casing at the scene and one unfired 9 mm cartridge, Moran said. One Haven Street resident said she noticed a scuffle in the street about 5:30 Friday evening. "I saw at least one guy taking hold of someone else, so I rushed inside my house because I thought there was going to be a problem," she said. "I’d just gotten inside my door when I heard the one shot. It was a little scary." Another Haven Street resident said he was sitting inside his house when the shot was fired. The man added that the incident did not come as a complete surprise to him. "I heard the gunshot, went outside and about two seconds later, the cops were swarming," he said. "That (stuff) happens in this neighborhood all the time." In April, a group of men inside a Lincoln Town Car fired six shots from a 9 mm handgun toward three teenage girls walking near the corner of Palm Street and Rose Avenue. Friday’s shooting happened about three blocks from there. "Thank God I’m moving out of this place in a month," a neighbor said. "I’ll be glad to get out of here." Johnson said police believe several witnesses left the scene following Friday’s incident. The case remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call the Medford Police Department at 774-2247 or 770-4783. Reach reporter Jack Moran at 776-4459, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News  | Sports  | Business  | Obituaries  | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives  |  Site Map   E Southern Oregon  | Classified   Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback   ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities