St. Helens Police Officer Found Justified For Striking, Killing Man With Vehicle

By Meerah Powell (OPB)
Dec. 4, 2019 6:44 p.m.

The Columbia County District Attorney Tuesday announced a St. Helens police officer was justified in intentionally striking and killing a man with his vehicle in October.

District Attorney Jeff Auxier said 33-year-old Michael Thomas Veatch was “actively trying to kill innocent civilians” during an Oct. 9 shooting spree.

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Police said Veatch fired gunshots at approximately 5:26 a.m. at a St. Helens Chevron gas station. Veatch then drove south on Highway 30, eventually exiting his vehicle, firing more shots and attempting to carjack two people. No people were injured.

St. Helens police officer Elijah Merkwan was one of only two officers on duty in Columbia County the morning of the shooting incident, the DA’s report states.

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In the report, Merkwan said Veatch continued to shoot at vehicles on Highway 30 when he made the decision to strike Veatch with his vehicle. Merkwan told law enforcement he did not intend to kill Veatch, the report states.

“Merkwan’s split-second decision to strike Veatch with his vehicle was commendable and almost certainly saved the lives of innocent civilians,” Auxier said in the report.

Police said they located multiple weapons inside of Veatch’s vehicle including an AK-47 rifle and two shotguns, not including the 9mm handgun Veatch had used during the shooting.

The DA’s report said Veatch was suspected of committing a drive-by shooting in Beaverton on Sept. 6, which injured one person and killed a dog. On Sept. 26, Veatch’s former employer reported that Veatch appeared to have broken into his truck and had stolen “multiple items, including an H&K 9mm handgun similar to the one recovered near the subject’s body.”

The report also notes that Veatch had multiple white supremacist tattoos, including swastikas on both of his knees.

Multiple associates told investigators that Veatch had stated he would rather die than return to prison, according to the report.

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