MILWAUKIE, Ore. — A Clackamas County grand jury has cleared the Milwaukie police officer who fatally shot a man who had rammed a police car.
Officer Billy Wells has been on paid leave since the June 11 shooting that killed Travis Blake Utley.
The 38-year-old Lebanon, Ore., man fled a traffic stop and was chased into a Portland neighborhood where the SUV was forced to pull over. Police say Utley rammed a patrol car and two officers fearing for their lives fired. An investigation showed Wells fired the fatal shot.
A Milwaukie police spokeswoman told The Oregonian it remains unclear why Utley refused to stop. He had an outstanding misdemeanor warrant for failing to appear in court — a relatively minor charge.
