Bend police
Posted inOpinion

The Public Wasn’t Willing to Flock Around

Bendites came out against Flock cameras and potentially problematic surveillance
by The Source Editorial Board

First it was the invitation to the public to add their personal surveillance cameras to the network of cameras that can be automatically (or manually) accessed by law enforcement. Then it was red light cameras. And this summer, police in Bend added yet another tool ostensibly meant to monitor criminal behavior: Flock cameras installed along the highway. At […]

Posted inOpinion

Will More Cameras Make Bend Safer for Drivers and Pedestrians?

With a new red light camera system, new concerns around the potential for abuse
by The Source Editorial Board

This week, the Bend City Council approved a vendor for its new red light camera system, giving authorities another way to enforce speeding violations and other infractions in the city. With Bend growing and pedestrian deaths continuing to climb in the United States, it seems like a helpful tool for law enforcement — but that […]

Posted inOpinion

We Can Dismantle Systems, as We Work Within Them, Too

As some recent cases show, the systems, too, can be used to move society in a more just direction.
The Source Staff

There’s been a lot of talk lately about “dismantling systems.” While taking a deep look at our public systems and rooting out areas of discrimination or outright racism is indeed part of an effort toward meaningful social change, there’s also something to be said for changing society by working within the systems, as well. Case […]

Posted inNews

Machete Or Not, Here We Come

Next up in weird crimes: Machetes, axes and an assault on a 7-Eleven store employee
Avatar photo Cayla Clark

June is proving to be a machete-filled month. On June 1, a Bend man armed with a machete was arrested after allegedly threatening his neighbors. Authorities say the event led to a standoff, and the man was finally taken into custody after SWAT team involvement and 90 minutes of negotiation. Deschutes County sheriff’s deputies and […]

Posted inNews

Stolen Dog Reunited

Bend Police say a Philomath woman took a Bend man’s dog
Chris Miller

Imagine you tie up your companion dog, head inside to play arcade games for a short time, then come out to find your pup gone. That’s what happened to Matthew Torney Friday in downtown Bend. Cops say Philomath resident Sabrina McCaskill took Torney’s dog, Kido from outside Vector Volcano arcade—doing so because cops say she […]

Posted inNews

Cop deemed legally justified in shooting

Timothy Bret Bontrager died of self-inflicted gun shot to the head
Chris Miller

Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel issued his decision on Aug. 1 regarding the June 26, 2018 shooting of Timothy Bret Bontrager by Bend Police Department officer Timothy Williams. Hummel determined that Williams’ decision to shoot Bontrager was legally justified, so he did not initiate criminal charges against the officer. You can read Hummel’s full […]

Posted inNews

Traffic Stop Turns Deadly

Timothy Bret Bontrager allegedly committed suicide in the Lowe’s parking lot
Chris Miller

Cops say on June 26 at 11:32 pm, City of Bend Police officer Timothy Williams, a three-year veteran of the force, pulled over a red Toyota 4-Runner driven by 36-year-old Timothy Bret Bontrager for failure to use a turn signal. During Williams’ request for Bontrager’s license and insurance, the officer suspected Bontrager of driving impaired, […]

Posted inNews

Can ridesharing apps help prevent drunk driving?

Studies show mixed results, DUII arrests on rise in Central Oregon
Avatar photo Keely Damara

It’s been just over eight months since Uber arrived in Bend, and nearly seven months since Lyft followed suit. While Central Oregon may be relatively late to the ridesharing party, the San Francisco startups didn’t waste any time after a change in taxi ordinances in Bend and Redmond in early 2017 allowed them to operate. […]

Posted inNews

Accused killer enters guilty plea

Edwin Lara will serve a life sentence without the possibility of parole
Chris Miller

An ex-security guard at Central Oregon Community College accused of murder has changed his plea to guilty. According to KPTV, Edwin Lara, who was arrested in 2016 for the murder of 23-year-old Kaylee Sawyer of Bend, entered a guilty plea Monday morning, and will not face the death penalty as a result of a plea […]

Posted inNews

Cyclist Fatally Struck in Downtown Bend Intersection

Bend resident, 31-year-old Jonathon Adams identified as victim. Cause still under investigation.
Avatar photo Magdalena Bokowa

**Updated story as of Nov 21. 2:47pm** A 31-year-old Bend resident has been identified as the victim in Monday’s fatal biking accident. According to Bend Police, preliminary investigation shows Jonathon Adams, 31 was struck in the intersection just east of NW Wall Street by a Fed-Ex semi-tractor trailer as the vehicle was turning right from NW […]

Sign up for newsletters

Get the best of The Source - Bend, Oregon directly in your email inbox.

Sending to:

Gift this article