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SHOOTING PROBE Deadly force against Green shooter justified, grand jury says Comment By Troy Brynelson News-Review MailTribune.com By Troy Brynelson News-Review Posted Jul. 3, 2016 at 12:01 AM By Troy Brynelson News-Review Posted Jul. 3, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News Law enforcement officials and a resident involved in a recent shooting in Green that left a man dead and a woman hospitalized were justified in their use of deadly force, a grand jury recently found. Speaking to media Thursday alongside Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin, Assistant District Attorney Kathleen Johnson and Sgt. Andrew Kenyon of Oregon State Police, District Attorney Rick Wesenberg said the grand jury convened Wednesday. The woman, who was shot several times, has been released from the hospital. The incident was the result of a burglary gone awry. According to Johnson, 25-year-old Springfield resident Joseph A. George, who also goes by the name James Wessgert, had been using methamphetamine with 19-year-old Lisa Martin in the days leading up to the incident. He reportedly became increasingly paranoid and sleep-deprived, and when Martin tried to break away he instead pointed a gun at her and told her she first had to help him rob the home on Happy Valley Road. “It is not clear how or why (George) selected this residence,” Johnson said. “... We don’t really have a clear connection how he ended up with that residence.” Homeowner Robert Lanham is said to have not recognized the vehicle pulling onto his property. He asked them to come forward as they were still in the vehicle, returned briefly inside and, once he stepped back out he saw Martin standing outside the front passenger door. He then heard a gunshot, Johnson said, saw the car’s front passenger window shatter, and Martin fell to the ground. Lanham then reportedly retrieved a firearm from his residence and fired a dozen shots at the vehicle, though he never could see who was in the driver’s seat. Martin reportedly told investigators she believed George shot her because she refused to get back into the vehicle. Law enforcement first heard reports of shots fired at approximately 3:06 p.m. and, upon their arrival, found Martin had been shot several times and George had fled the scene. Once an ambulance arrived, a sheriff’s deputy spotted George and commanded he show his hands. Officers reportedly then heard a gunshot and the sound of a bullet passing overhead. They returned fire and George retreated into the wooded area around the property. After searching the area, they found George dead in a field about 200 feet from the residence, the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, according to the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s office. He was not struck by any deputies’ bullets. Martin was transported to Mercy Medical Center and later transferred to PeaceHealth Sacred Heart Medical Center at RiverBend in Springfield for life-threatening injuries. Martin has since been released from the hospital and is expected to make a full recovery, according to police. She was not charged with anything. Three deputies were put on paid administrative leave following the incident, per protocol. After the investigation, Hanlin thanked the Oregon State Police, the Roseburg Police Department, the Sutherlin Police Department, Douglas County Fire District No. 2 and the Winston-Dillard Fire Department. “The decisive response by all of these agencies resulted in our ability to contain the suspect in this incident and ultimately end his dangerous rampage, while paramedics provided life-saving medical care to the shot victim,” Hanlin said. Reporter Troy Brynelson can be reached at 541-957-4218 or [email protected]. Or follow him on Twitter @TroyWB. By Troy Brynelson News-Review MailTribune.com By Troy Brynelson News-Review Posted Jul. 3, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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