Klamath County Officers Exonerated by Grand Jury After Fatal Firefight with Armed Suspect

KLAMATH COUNTY, Ore. — A Klamath County Grand Jury has found that deadly force used by the Klamath County Sheriff and three of his deputies when arresting Joseph Michael Tancredi was necessary and justified, ending an investigation into the shooting incident.

Court evidence was that Tancredi pulled out a gun and shot at the officers while they were attempting to arrest him in Collier Park on 23 December 2024 for an outstanding weapons and assault warrant.

The officers from the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office – Sheriff Shane Mitchell, Deputy Tyler Vickery, Deputy Terry Brown, and Deputy Robert Langfield – returned fire when Tancredi shot at them while attempting to take him into custody.

The Grand Jury heard that Tancredi pulled out a handgun and threatened to shoot them, demanding that to leave.

When the officers ordered Tancredi to drop his weapon and surrender, he opened fire on them while sheltering behind trees and debris. The officers then returned fire.

Tancredi suffered multiple injuries in the shootout. He was arrested and transferred to the Sky Lakes Medical Center, and then to the St. Charles Medical Center in Bend, where he died.

Dr. James Olson of the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office found that Tancredi died of gunshot wounds, including a likely self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.