Herald and News – by DAVE MARTINEZ
SPRAGUE RIVER — A late night episode of violence temporarily locked down the community of Sprague River Thursday night. Officers worked through the morning to peacefully capture a suspect just after 9 a.m. Friday.
In the end, one resident is dead, one is wounded from a stabbing and a third is in custody in the Klamath County Detention Facility.
“It was like a time bomb waiting to explode,” one neighbor said of the situation.
Teel Blue Gentry, 25, was booked into the Klamath County Jail on two counts of attempted aggravated murder. His bail is set at $1 million.
Derrick William Forste, 36, was found dead, likely from gunshot wounds.
Further details remain unavailable while the Klamath County Major Crimes Team continues its investigation, but neighbors independently verified some information.
According to neighbors, around
11 p.m. Thursday, arguing was heard on Fifth Street just south of Sprague River Road. At that time, police believe a man was stabbed by a person living in a home on Fifth Street. Shortly after that, another suspect, who lives just up the street from the first residence, fired approximately seven gunshots at the stabbing suspect, killing the man. One neighbor described them as rifle shots.
The man who was stabbed was put into a blue compact car by a woman. The two took off southbound on Bliss Road, but they did not get very far. They were stopped by Klamath County sheriff’s deputies en route to the scene of the shooting. In addition to the female driver, the deputies found the victim, bleeding from a stab wound, and two guns in the car.
After calling an emergency medical helicopter and securing the weapons, deputies continued to Sprague River.
A deputy encountered the suspect, who was on foot, at the intersection of Sprague River and Bliss roads. The suspect allegedly fired rounds at the deputy, striking the lower center portion of the sheriff vehicle’s windshield.
The deputy pulled away, unharmed, and the suspect ran.
The suspect then encountered another white passenger car and shot about seven rounds into the vehicle. Neighbors reported hearing the driver shout, “Don’t shoot. It’s your mom,” and the gunfire stopped.
The suspect then went back to his home on Fifth Street, where deputies contained the man until morning.
Tactical teams were called in from Jackson County, the Oregon State Police, the Klamath Falls Police Department and the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office. Law enforcement used a robot to keep an eye on the suspect and negotiated with the man via phone.
Three armored personnel carriers surrounded the home and the suspect was taken into custody peacefully around 9 a.m.
Neighbors said the shooting suspect was a military veteran who had recently returned from duty. District Attorney Rob Patridge was on his way to the scene from a conference in Portland.
The name and condition of the stabbing victim has not yet been released by the Klamath County District Attorney’s Office.
Wondering if this was a racial confrontation judging by the name? The long predicted race war is nearly upon us. Past ‘race riots’ will pale in comparison.
This was not racial in any way. It happened about 20 miles from where I live and know all the participants. I haven’t heard what the motivation was for the stabbing, but all these people have lived here for a long time.
The reason I posted the article was because Sprague River is out in the middle of nowhere and the response to the incident consisted of 3 armored personnel carriers.
“Neighbors said the shooting suspect was a military veteran who had recently returned from duty.”
Controlled, possibly?
“……another suspect, who lives just up the street from the first residence, fired approximately seven gunshots at the stabbing suspect, killing the man.”
This I can understand.
“The suspect allegedly fired rounds at the deputy, striking the lower center portion of the sheriff vehicle’s windshield.”
This I can also understand.
“The suspect then encountered another white passenger car and shot about seven rounds into the vehicle. Neighbors reported hearing the driver shout, “Don’t shoot. It’s your mom,” and the gunfire stopped.”
This is where it stops making sense (to me, anyway)
From what I understand, the kid was a weapon specialist and dedicated to survival: night vision, web gear.
I heard through the grapevine that there were a lot of people after him and he shot the white car, not knowing it was his mom. Once he saw it was his mom, he stopped shooting at the white car.
Anyway, this is what I have been hearing.
Thanks, Henry. Glad he didn’t shoot his mom at least.
Should he not have missed that cop, or was it good that he did miss?
It is probably for the best that he missed the cop. He had some problems with what he saw in Iraq, or at least this is what I have heard.
I`m just wondering why this suspect was so hell bent on stabbing the guy any way? Was it a pay back/revenge stabbing or what? People do not normaly just go around stabbing people for no reason.
I think they do if they’re in a PTSD flip out. Who knows.
. . .