ID for man shot by deputies at Ore. marijuana grow

MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) — A man shot and killed by sheriff’s deputies at a southern Oregon marijuana garden on public land has been identified as a 20-year-old from Mexico.

Jackson County District Attorney Mark Huddleston said Itali Arellana-Vargas was armed but did not shoot at officers before they shot him.

Huddleston declined to disclose what prompted deputies to shoot the man, saying a grand jury was scheduled to hear testimony on Wednesday.

Jackson County sheriff’s deputies and U.S. Bureau of Land Management law enforcement officers were raiding a marijuana grow on BLM land near Medford when they encountered the armed man on August 11.

Oregon State Police said they were able to notify the family of Arellana-Vargas, allowing release of his name.

The deputies involved have not been named. They remain on administrative leave.

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Information from: Mail Tribune, http://www.mailtribune.com/