KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. — A jury on Wednesday convicted a 31-year-old man of attempted murder for allegedly shooting a deputy in Klamath Falls.
Jurors found William Parkerson guilty of attempted murder and first-degree assault after about 30 minutes of deliberations, The Herald and News reported.
On Aug. 27, 2014, Parkerson shot an officer in the face and torso during a traffic stop and fled, prosecutors said. Klamath County Sheriff’s Deputy Jason Weber survived the incident and now has a different job.
A Klamath Falls woman told the jury she was afraid for her life when she helped him flee after shooting an officer. Prosecutors dropped charges against Karey Pascoe in exchange for her testimony on Tuesday.
Pascoe met Parkerson several days before the shooting and was in an intimate relationship with him, she said. She testified that she left a drug house with Parkerson and was high on methamphetamine when she was pulled over by Weber in 2014.
Parkerson got out of the car and approached the deputy, she said. Pascoe told jurors she was reaching into her glove box for her registration when she heard a gunshot.
“When I looked back, I saw Jack standing and pointing like this,” she said, indicating that Parkerson had a gun held in front of him and pointed at the deputy. “I heard another shot, and I turned back around really fast because I didn’t want (Parkerson) to know that I saw him,” she said. According to Pascoe, Parkerson got back in the car and ordered her to drive.
“He said, ‘Go! Go! Go! Drive!’ ” Pascoe said. “Who wouldn’t drive? I mean, I felt like I didn’t have a choice. He had a gun and had just shot someone.”
Pascoe said her Jeep later ran out of gas, but the two continued to walk and hitchhike. They were picked up by a member of law enforcement while trying to hitchhike and arrested.
Defense attorney Michael Bertholf questioned her about her drug activity that day and asked Pascoe if she signed an affidavit simply to be released from custody after spending 576 days in jail. She said she did not.
