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Laurence Dickson

Age : 69

Gender : Male

Race : White

Date : 08/23/2022

Location : 2270 SW 2nd St

City : McMinnville

County : Yamhill

State : Oregon

Agency : McMinnville PD

Officer(s) :Justin Schwartz, Cody Williams

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police during mental health crisis

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/23/2022, McMinnville Police Department Officer Justin Schwartz shot and killed 69-year-old Laurence Dickson outside Dickson’s apartment at 2270 SW 2nd Street after Dickson himself called 911 seeking help because he was suicidal. Officers Schwartz and Cody Williams were dispatched at approximately 2:07 p.m. specifically for a suicide intervention.
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Dickson’s family said he had struggled with depression for years. His daughter told KOIN that Dickson had previously sought help and had been taken to the hospital during earlier mental health crises. The family questioned why a call for help during another suicidal crisis ended with police killing him.
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According to Oregon State Police, Schwartz and Williams arrived at the apartment building and asked Dickson to come outside to speak with them. Dickson emerged carrying what the officers believed was a handgun. The object was subsequently determined to be an air-powered pellet gun manufactured to resemble a revolver.
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Police alleged that Schwartz ordered Dickson to drop the object and that Dickson instead pointed it toward Schwartz. Schwartz fired a single round from his department-issued rifle, striking Dickson in the chest. Williams did not fire.
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Officers attempted medical aid and summoned emergency medical personnel, but Dickson died at the scene. The weapon recovered after the shooting was confirmed to be an air gun rather than a firearm.
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Dickson’s family strongly questioned the police response. His daughter said the family believed officers should have recognized that they were dealing with a suicidal person and used crisis-intervention and de-escalation methods rather than creating an encounter that ended in gunfire. The family also questioned why police instructed Dickson to leave the apartment rather than maintaining distance and attempting to communicate with him while he remained inside.
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Oregon State Police investigated the killing under Yamhill County’s Senate Bill 111 deadly-force protocol at the request of the Yamhill County District Attorney’s Office. McMinnville police placed Schwartz and Williams on administrative leave following the shooting.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND:
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Justin Schwartz began his law-enforcement career with the Yamhill County Sheriff’s Office in 2009. He joined the McMinnville Police Department in 2017 and therefore had approximately 13 years of law-enforcement experience when he killed Dickson. Schwartz fired the single rifle round that killed Dickson.
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Cody Williams had served with the McMinnville Police Department for approximately three years and had previously worked as a police officer in Kansas. Williams responded with Schwartz but did not fire his weapon.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.koin.com/news/what-happened-isnt-fair-family-mourns-after-tragic-shooting-by-mcminnville-police/
https://www.kgw.com/article/news/local/mcminnville-man-police-shooting/283-ebc5e5f3-257d-4b8b-b0f3-8dee578cf5b8
https://flashalert.net/id/OSPOre/156951
https://www.opb.org/article/2022/08/24/mcminnville-police-shoot-man-after-receiving-call-for-suicide-intervention/
https://www.kptv.com/2022/08/29/osp-releases-more-details-about-deadly-officer-involved-shooting-mcminnville/