By Paul Daquilante • Staff Writer • 

Jury acquits shooter in road rage incident

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Comments

JWC

Although I didn't hear all of the facts in this case, Ms Marshall and the jurors might have done right in this case. In any road rage incident, it would seem obvious that the following vehicle is the aggressor. They are the ones who could most easily end the encounter simply by slowing down, stopping or turning. If there are any objective witnesses that attested that there had been a previous altercation and that the van was following at high speed, that would substantiate the claim of road rage. It would be easy to throw away the gun that was actually fired. The fact that the accused was armed with a politically incorrect "AK-47" might have prejudiced the prosecutor and grand jury.

This reminds me of an encounter that I had with a THPRD security guard who was following me with the intent of arresting me for arson on THPRD property. It turned out that it was the THPRD security guard who was the arsonist.

BigfootLives

Road rage is a dangerous hobby.

Indicted for attempted murder for defending yourself in a road rage incident late at night. Proud of our Yamhill county DA. Maybe now they can charge the the two individuals who were on the losing end of the encounter for attempted murder for trying to run Mr Grundman and the other driver off the road at a high rate of speed. Either way, I hope Mr Grundman files a civil suit against them. I am curious to know if it was an actual AK-47 or just called that by the DA because it sounds sinister to the public.

There is a concealed carry law in Oregon as there is most other states, but if you lawfully protect yourself or someone else and are forced by someone else's bad choices to use your weapon you will be arrested and charged. There is insurance for concealed carry purposes that will provide emergency bail, lawyers and legal protection.

Joel R

Thank God that he had the right to a trial by a jury of his peers.

bonnybedlam

Pretty slick, blindly shooting into a moving car, hitting two unarmed people, and getting off on a claim of "we thought we heard a shot, maybe?" I know what lawyer I want if my paranoia ever drives me to randomly shoot some strangers.

Bill B

Wow, if that's self defense, I should buy a gun for the number of times I've been tailgated. I'm sure I would be in "fear for my life"!

JWC

It is really difficult to prove that someone was shooting at you if they miss. The drunken redneck from Gaston who shot dangerously close to my pregnant daughter-in-law while trespassing on our property to poach deer had the misfortune of actually hitting the deer, killing it deader than a door nail. This was rather definitive evidence that he had fired his Remington 700 rifle chambered in 300 Winchester Magnum. My son was also taking video with his cell phone while cursing the rifle toting perpetrator out as the morbidly obese perp was retreating to his daddy's pickup (also a morbidly obese drunken redneck from Gaston) to bravely run away. Gathering this type of evidence is difficult and dangerous even if you are carrying an AR-10.

BigfootLives

Well Bill and Bonny, I know you think everyone with a gun is a white trash redneck with a maga hat, swilling Budweiser and racing around the county in a rusty, beat up old pickup truck, looking for the chance to pop off a few rounds at the first person that looks at them funny, but that perception only shows your ignorance. Again.

Some of the US justice system does work and this man was found innocent (you know, acquitted) in a unanimous decision. You might even say he acted in self defense and his actions showed that he had a reason to have fear for his life. The jury agreed.

Bill B

Bigfoot-JUst about everyone I know owns a gun and I don't think any of them would shoot at an unarmed person. Fear of his life; what a joke.

Shorty

I didn’t see anywhere in the article where it says the occupants of the minivan were not armed. From the description of what happened, I think the minivan driver was using their vehicle as a weapon by trying to run the pickup off the road. I think the jury got it right.

JWC

Shorty:

It appears that the reporter didn't actually attend any part of the trial and is simply recycling portions of previous coverage. It would be nice to have more information.

In previous articles about this case, it is mentioned that the occupants of the van DID have a gun. However; it appeared that the gun had not been fired. I can easily create a false negative by running a bore snake down the barrel or squirting in some WD-40, so such inspection or testing is inconclusive..

tagup

So…you actually think they cleaned their weapon after getting wounded and before police and Life flight arrived? Seems pretty unlikely…

JWC

More likely just tossed the gun that was fired into the Yamhill river.

tagup

I’m more inclined to believe the evidence that was found…as opposed to unsubstantiated theories..

Jean

If only we all had RPG's mounted on our vehicles and spikes on our wheel hubs. Lord Humongous would be so proud.

JWC

Tagup:

Neither of us attended the trial much less the motions hearing. We don't know what evidence was presented at trial much less what evidence was concealed. I would be interested in toxicology testing on the alleged victims as well as their criminal histories. It is obvious that the reporter who wrote this article didn't attend the trial or hearings either. It seems obvious to me that the allegations of road rage with elements of vehicular assault were substantiated. The belief that the accused heard gun shots and bullets passing by would then be more credible. Anyone who survived the Christmas parade at Waukesha Wisconsin can attest that the road raging driver and passenger were a threat even if they were not shooting. OSP Trooper Jeffries would agree.

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