Officer Involved Shooting in Lane County

 Tuesday, December 15, 2020, 1:45p.m.

From: Patty Perlow, Lane County District Attorney

RE: Officer Involved Shooting, November 30, 2020

On November 30, 2020, the Lane Inter-Agency Deadly Force 

Investigative Team (IDFIT) was called out to investigate the use of 

deadly force by two Eugene Police officers. On December 11, 2020, 

that investigation was turned over to me for review. A summary of the 

facts is outlined below.

SUMMARY 

On November 30, 2020, at approximately 10:21 a.m., Eugene Police 

received a report from a Lane County Deputy District Attorney (DDA) 

that a victim had contacted him via text and reported “He beat me up. 

He’s here.” The DDA reported the message was from a recent victim 

from a previous violation of a Pennsylvania Restraining Order against 

Muhsin Sharif. The DDA reported he had not heard from the victim in 

approximately 10 minutes and believed she was in an active dispute 

and unable to use her phone. EPD officers located the address of the 

victim and made contact. The victim reported Sharif had just left her 

residence. She stated Sharif may be armed with a knife, had made 

statements about fighting the police and potentially killing himself if the 

police were involved. The victim provided a physical description of 

Sharif as a 26-year-old mixed race adult, approximately 6’01 tall with an 

athletic build wearing a gray sweater, white shirt and green beanie. 

During the conversation with the victim, EPD officers developed 

probable cause to believe Sharif had again violated his restraining 

order and committed the crimes of Assault and Strangulation 

constituting domestic violence while their minor child was present. 

Oregon law provides for mandatory arrest of a suspect under these 

circumstances.

 

At approximately 11:57 a.m., Eugene Police Patrol units and plain 

clothes officers located Sharif in the Washington/Jefferson Park and 

established surveillance there. At approximately 12:01 pm, Eugene 

Police officers attempted to contact Sharif in the park and he fled on 

foot. The foot pursuit tracked westbound along 1st , south then west 

in the Jefferson Alley, south on Madison and then eastbound into the 

ally between Builder’s Electric and Oakshire Brewery. During the foot 

pursuit, Eugene Police personnel observed Sharif was armed with a 

knife as he ran and heard him yelling “I will kill you” repeatedly as he 

ran. Officers pursued him with lights, sirens and loud speakers. One

officer on recording is heard yelling, “Stop, drop the knife.”

After entering the alley between Oakshire Brewery and Builder’s

Electric, Sharif ran toward the southeast corner of a parking lot behind

Oakshire. Within seconds of running into the parking area, Sharif

quickly turned around before advancing toward the first Eugene Police

officer that had entered the alley behind him. Officer Ryan Trullinger,

who has been with EPD for four and a half years, observed the parking

lot was enclosed, came to a stop in the alleyway several yards from

Sharif and began to give him commands to “Stop” and to “Drop the

Knife” as Sharif advanced quickly toward him. There was a clear path

out of the alley to the passenger side of Officer Trullinger’s patrol

vehicle.

Sharif ignored Officer Trullinger’s commands and quickly advanced

toward the driver’s side of Officer Trullinger’s patrol vehicle. Sharif had

the knife raised in his right hand and was yelling at Officer Trullinger.

When Sharif reached the front driver’s corner of the patrol vehicle he

accelerated toward Officer Trullinger as Officer Trullinger retreated,

circling the rear of his vehicle. As Sharif cleared the rear corner of the

patrol vehicle, Officer Trullinger fired his Glock 9 mm pistol four times

while accelerating his retreat. Officer Trullinger later stated in his

interview that he feared Sharif was going to stab him or someone else,

and was in fear for his life. Officer Trullinger said he stopped shooting

when Sharif fell to the ground as he perceived the threat was over.

Within seconds of Officer Trullinger entering the alleyway, Eugene

Police Officer Bo Rankin, who has been with EPD for fourteen years,

entered the alleyway and was coming to a stop when he observed

Sharif appear from the front driver’s side area of Officer Trullinger’s

patrol vehicle. As Officer Rankin exited his patrol vehicle, without

having put the vehicle in park, he observed Sharif advancing quickly

toward him with the knife raised and said in his interview he feared he

or another officer would be stabbed. Officer Rankin fired his Glock 9

mm pistol four times, nearly simultaneously with Officer Trullinger.

Officer Rankin stopped shooting when Sharif fell to the ground.

Sharif was struck two times, once in the upper left chest and once in

his left hip. Sharif fell to the ground facedown with his head pointed

towards the west. Officer Rankin’s patrol vehicle was rolling and

stopped with the front bumper area above Sharif’s head and shoulders,

but the vehicle did not roll on him.

Sharif was lying on his stomach still refusing to drop the knife. For

several seconds Eugene Police Officers directed him to drop the knife

stating they wanted to administer first aid but could not until he

complied. Sharif said he couldn’t drop the knife, though his right hand

was unencumbered, and that officers should take it from him. EPD

Officer Alex Swindling deployed his Tazer to Sharif which caused him

to drop the knife. Immediately after Sharif was no longer a threat,

Medics were called into the scene while Eugene Police Officers Matt

Pizzola, Kristen Cardwell, and Naivasha Tester began emergency first

aide to stop Sharif’s bleeding. Sharif was then transported to

Riverbend Emergency Room by Emergency Medical Personnel.

The following is a summary timeline. Times are approximate, taken

directly from CAD:

• At 10:24:33 DDA reports receiving a text message from victim stating,

“He beat me up. He’s here.”

• At 10:33:07 Victim’s cell phone is pinged to determine her location.

• At 10:48:26 Victim reports her actual location via DDA.

• At 10:58:33 Victim is asked to meet responding officers at the door to

the complex.

• At 11:01:48 Pennsylvania Restraining Order confirmed and sent to EPD

dispatch.

• At 11:10:20 EPD Patrol units meet up with victim.

• At 11:55:05 EPD Patrols are advised PC exists for Strangulation

involving Abuse Prevention Act (APA) factors and a Violation of the

Restraining Order (VRO.)

• At 11:56:31 Sharif is tracked to Washington Jefferson Park.

• At 11:58:48 Sharif is located in Washington Jefferson Park.

• At 12:01:47 Sharif runs from EPD units at Washington Jefferson Park.

• At 12:03:22 officers on scene reported “Shots fired” “Medics Code 3”

“Suspect Down” “Officers ok”

• At 12:03:52 officers reported Sharif was in custody with wounds to his

chest.

• At 12:04:54 officers reported first aid and Sharif was conscious.

• At 12:06:47 officers reported second bullet hole in left hip and

administering first aid.

• At 12:09:08 Medics arrived at the scene.

• At 12:14:07 (approximately) Medics departed with Sharif to Riverbend

ER.

Investigators from the Lane County Interagency Deadly Force

Investigation Team (IDFIT) responded to the scene and took over the

use of deadly force incident investigation. Detectives from Oregon

State Police, Lane County Sheriff’s Office, Springfield Police

Department and Florence Police Department all participated in the

investigation, led by OSP Detective Dusty Sprague.

These events are captured on multiple videos. Because there are

pending criminal charges against Muhsin Sharif, to protect his trial

rights, only video of the actual use of force is being released at this

time. The first video is from Officer Trullinger’s body worn camera.

The second video is from Officer Rankin’s in-car video.

Based upon the interviews of the eye and ear witnesses, and the video

evidence, the use of deadly force by Officers Trullinger and Rankin was

a lawful response to the use of deadly force by Muhsin Sharif against

the officers. Sharif was closing in on Officer Trullinger with the knife

raised when both officers fired their weapons.

Both officers were uninjured and Mr. Sharif survived his wounds.

Questions regarding the involved officers should be directed to Chief

Skinner or Melinda McLaughlin. Questions regarding Muhsin Sharif

should be directed to his attorney, Brian Michaels.

Link to video of body-worn cameras:https://vimeo.com/491365864