The assault case against a Camas man accused of shooting his sister’s boyfriend was dismissed last week in Clark County Superior Court due to evidentiary issues.
Matthew T. Turner, 24, faced a charge of first-degree assault and was scheduled for trial Monday. However, the case was dismissed without prejudice, meaning it could be re-filed at a later date. Court records do not elaborate on the evidentiary issue.
Efforts to reach the deputy prosecutor assigned to the case were unsuccessful Monday afternoon.
At the time of the alleged incident, Turner told emergency dispatchers that he shot Miguel Fernandez, then 29, to protect his sister, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed in the case.
Camas police were dispatched about 5 p.m. Aug. 23 to a residence at 3345 S.E. Third Ave. for a reported shooting. They found Fernandez in the driveway, suffering a gunshot wound to his right shoulder. His girlfriend, Krystal Turner, provided aid until medical personnel arrived and took him to a hospital for treatment, the affidavit states.
Krystal Turner told police that she was driving Fernandez, her brother and his girlfriend to go hiking when she and Fernandez began arguing. She turned the car around and went home, where the argument turned physical. At one point, Fernandez shoved her and she fell, she said. She then heard a gunshot, looked up and saw her brother with a rifle in his hands, and Fernandez had been shot, court records say.
Matthew Turner was reportedly cooperative with police.
He told them that Fernandez has a temper, and he knew the fight was going to escalate. He went inside and grabbed a rifle as a “scare tactic,” he said. But as he retrieved the weapon, he said he saw Fernandez push his sister and put her in a rear chokehold, according to the court document.
Matthew Turner racked a round to get Fernandez’s attention, he said, but Fernandez stepped toward him aggressively, so he fired, the affidavit states.
