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48 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, January 27, 2005 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 Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? 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 March 31, 2004 Wounded Oregon State Police trooper Nick Neville, right, appeared for a press conference Tuesday at OSP regional headquarters in Central Point. He was joined by his wife, Connie, and two sons, Brandon, 7, left, and Lance, 5. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Brush with death Wounded trooper recognizes danger is part of the job By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune Although his body still carries the bullet, an Oregon State Police trooper who was shot in the line of duty Friday said he is looking forward to returning to work. Released from the hospital after spending the weekend in intensive care, trooper Nick Neville appeared at OSP’s regional headquarters in Central Point Tuesday with his wife and children. Neville was wounded in a shoot-out with a man who was wanted for bank robberies committed in Nevada this month. Neville shot and killed Jeremiah Paul Scanlon, 47, who first fired on the trooper Friday night at Valley of the Rogue State Park near Interstate 5, OSP officials said. Both men fired one shot. Preliminary information indicates that Neville acted appropriately, authorities said. Neville, 33, declined to answer specific questions about the shooting but discussed his state of mind, medical condition and how the experience has affected those closest to him. "This is obviously a realistic time for my family," Neville said. "Anyone who goes into law enforcement has got to recognize that there’s dangers out there." Advertisement Neville said he had no lingering fears when he revisited the park with police investigators Tuesday to illustrate the events that took place. Certified to teach other officers how to respond in life-threatening situations, his police training dictated his response to the gunman, Neville said. Working on reports near the park’s boat ramp, Neville approached Scanlon at 8:40 p.m. when he noticed the man’s pickup truck drive past his marked patrol car and then try to turn around. Both men got out of their vehicles, and Scanlon asked the trooper for directions. When Neville requested the man’s identification, Scanlon pulled a snub-nosed .38-caliber revolver from his clothing and fired. "The officer did not have a gun in his hands (and) was somewhat taken by surprise," said OSP Capt. Eric Rodriguez. Neville dropped onto one knee to avoid the bullet and pulled out his own gun, said Rodriguez said. He shot Scanlon once in the front, right side of his chest. Still clutching the revolver, Scanlon ran uphill from the boat ramp and collapsed spread-eagled on the ground about 35 yards away, Rodriguez said. Officers found him there after Neville radioed for help. Scanlon’s bullet pierced Neville’s neck above his bullet-proof vest, broke his collar bone and lodged under his shoulder blade. Physicians decided to leave the bullet in place and monitor its position rather than perform surgery, Neville said. "The bullet is in a pretty safe place," Neville said. "It took a safe route. ... It’s not in any vital areas." Neville was released Monday from Rogue Valley Medical Center, where Gov. Ted Kulongoski and two of the highest-ranking OSP officials visited him over the weekend. In an unannounced trip to Southern Oregon, the governor spoke with Neville’s two young sons, family and friends. Neville said he does not know when he will return to work. Detectives with several of the county’s police agencies continue to investigate the shooting. Chief Deputy District Attorney Beth Heckert will present the case to a grand jury to determine if Neville acted lawfully. No date has been set for that hearing. Scanlon was wanted on warrants issued by the FBI charging him with a March 15 bank robbery in Las Vegas. He also was linked to an armed bank robbery in Reno, Nev., that happened four days after the first, according to police officials. The gun he used had been reported stolen in Las Vegas as had the license plates on his vehicle, police officials said. Scanlon had told friends that he wasn’t going back to prison, Rodriguez said, adding that he didn’t think the wanted man was looking to kill a police officer. "He made a turn, and it was bad luck for him," Rodriguez said. Neville — a Rogue Valley native — has worked for OSP since 1999 and was stationed at the agency’s regional headquarters in Central Point in May last year. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, 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 © 1997-2005 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 Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers