NEWS
Two Skiers Die on Bachelor
A third person had to be evacuated via helicopter to St. Charles Bend By Jack Harvel
“We are heartbroken and in shock that two of our guests have tragically passed away on our mountain in the past two days. Our deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends of those who passed. The entire Mt Bachelor community is grieving with you tonight.”
Man Dies in Crook County Officer Involved Shooting Sheriff’s Deputy who shot Nick Rodin revealed By Jack Harvel On Feb. 4, around 1:40 pm a Crook County sheriff’s deputy shot and killed Nick Rodin on Maphet Road south of Prineville. His body remained at the scene for nearly 9 hours before it was removed. The Crook County deputy was identified by the Crook County District Attorney’s Office Feb. 11 as Deputy Steven Hatcher. Hatcher has been with the Sheriff’s Office since 2016 and is on administrative leave pending an investigation by the Central Oregon Major Incident team, led by the Oregon State Police in conjunction with the Crook County District Attorney’s Office. Rodin’s family said he didn’t have a weapon on him when Hatcher approached him around 1:40 pm. Rodin had an arrest warrant for a parole violation, and a lengthy criminal history that included drug and assault charges. In March Rodin survived a brutal stabbing outside of Ochoco Plaza. He also was diagnosed with schizophrenia
and had bouts of depression, and attempted suicide twice while in Cook County Jail, The Bulletin reported. Duane Larson, a private investigator hired by Rodin’s family, stated in a letter that he believes excessive force was used, noting that Rodin was likely unarmed, that there’s no evidence to suggest he was a danger to himself or others or that he was in commission of any violent crime or that there was any attempt to use non-lethal force before the shooting. Not many details about the shooting have been released, and Rodin’s family has asked for more transparency as the investigation proceeds. Protestors gathered in Prineville on Saturday, Feb. 12, to memorialize Rodin and demand accountability from the Sheriff’s Office. Rodin was 35 years old and expecting a baby with his fiancee next month.
—JOHN MCLEOD Raw Pixels
Crook County DA Appointed
The position has been vacated for almost a month By Jack Harvel Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced that Kari Hathorn will fill the Crook County district attorney position that was vacated by Judge Wade Whiting after he was appointed to the Circuit Court for Jefferson and Crook Counties on Jan. 19. Hathorn is a graduate of the University of Oregon School of Law and worked as a prosecutor for Kitsap County, Washington and Whatcom County, Washington, before returning to Oregon to work as a deputy district attorney in Deschutes County between 2010 and 2019. Since 2019 she worked as an associate attorney at The Steele Law Firm handling plaintiff-side personal injury and fraud cases. Hathorn currently serves as a pro tem judge for the City of Bend Municipal Court. “I admire Kari Hathorn’s strong work ethic and dedication to public service,” Brown said in a statement. “As a former prosecutor for many years, Kari brings a wealth of experience, and has earned the support of community partners in Crook County.”
VOLUME 26 ISSUE 7 / FEBRUARY 17, 2021 / THE SOURCE WEEKLY
Two skiers passed away and one was evacuated by helicopter after experiencing a medical emergency in the span of three days on Mt. Bachelor. The first, on Feb. 11 around 12:25 pm, was a 66-year-old man who was reportedly wearing a helmet when he sustained injuries to his head. Ski patrol dispatched a medical helicopter to the West Village parking lot to transport the man to a hospital, but he was pronounced dead before it arrived. Then, on Feb. 12, Ski Patrol responded to an injured skier at 12:35 pm who witnesses say ran into a tree. The 60-year-old man, who also wore a helmet, was transferred to the First Aid Room in the West Village, where Bend Fire and Rescue took over. A medical helicopter was again summoned and landed, but called off after the skier was pronounced dead at 1:25 pm. “We are heartbroken and in shock that two of our guests have tragically passed away on our mountain in the past two days. Our deepest sympathies go out to the family and friends of those who passed. The entire Mt Bachelor community is grieving with you tonight,” Mt. Bachelor General Manager John McLeod said in a statement on Saturday. On Sunday, Feb. 13, a third consecutive incident occurred when a 60-year-old man was transported to St. Charles Bend via helicopter. No details about his condition have been released yet. There have been three deaths so far this ski season on Mt. Bachelor, the first being Birkan Uzun who suffocated in a tree well on New Year’s Eve. The mountain is facing a lawsuit from the families of Alfonso Braun and Nicole Panet-Raymond after they died in tree wells on consecutive days in March of 2018.
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