On November 12, 2024 at approximately 8:30 PM, the Roseburg Police Department, along with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, responded to the 200 block of SE Pine Street, an area referred to as “The Point,” regarding a reported stabbing. When officers arrived, they found 31-year-old Jesse Otha Thomas lying on the bike path with multiple stab wounds. Thomas was transported to Mercy Medical Center by Umpqua Valley Ambulance, with non-life threatening injuries and later released.

The suspect in this case, 45-year-old Joshua Daniel Saunders, fled the scene but was located along the South Umpqua riverbank with the use of a FLIR thermal imaging device.  After a multi-hour standoff, Saunders was tased and taken into custody without further incident.  Saunders was lodged at the Douglas County Jail for Assault 1 and Unlawful Use of a Weapon.

The Roseburg Police Department would like to thank the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Umpqua Valley Ambulance for their assistance.

No further details are being released at this time.

On November 9th at 0315 hours, the Roseburg Police Department responded to multiple reports of gunfire in the 1200 block Hamilton Street, in Roseburg.  The responding officers located and identified the shooter as 25 year old Austin Adrian Wall.  The responding officers also located Ryan Dale Burchell ( 50 years of age), who sustained several gunshot wounds.  The officers on scene began life saving efforts for Burchell until relieved by paramedics.  Burchell was transported to Mercy by ambulance, but ultimately succumbed to his injuries at approximately 0921 hours.   

The Douglas County Major Crimes team, which includes the Roseburg Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, and the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office, has been activated and a comprehensive and ongoing investigation is occurring.  Based on the preliminary investigation,  Wall was taken into custody for Murder II and was lodged at Douglas County Corrections.  

During August through the end of September the Roseburg Police Department will have some extra patrols out working traffic enforcement, with a specific focus on safety belt use, distracted driving and speeding.  These focused patrols are made available due to grants received from Oregon Impact and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Seat belts have been proven to be one of the best ways to save your life in a crash. Yet many still don’t buckle up. Worse still, not wearing a seat belt is a habit that will pass on to impressionable youth, who in turn will think it’s safe to not buckle up.

Distracted driving is one of the fastest growing safety issues on the roads today. Distracted drivers aren’t just a threat to themselves: they’re a danger to everyone else on the road. The national distracted driving effort focuses on ways to change the behavior of drivers through legislation, enforcement, public awareness, and education.

Be on the lookout for specific enforcement campaigns over the next two months. 

The law enforcement industry across the nation is struggling to find and hire quality candidates to fill an increasing number of vacant law enforcement positions.  The Roseburg Police Department (RPD) has refused to compromise on hiring standards and remains dedicated to producing the highest quality police officers possible for our community. 

RPD continues to demonstrate its commitment to our community and our officers through investment and innovation. In a progressive effort to improve officer retention and recruitment, the Roseburg Police Department has instituted a 32-hour workweek program, effective July 1, 2024. 

In addition to this innovative program, the Roseburg Police Department has much to offer to prospective police officer candidates:

• High quality equipment – Roseburg has invested in the latest technology in body worn and vehicle cameras, non-lethal weapons, stationary and vehicular LPR cameras, virtual reality training equipment, robots and other tools to keep our citizens and officers safe. 
• Extremely competitive pay and benefit packages
• Wellness focused – RPD encourages work/life balance and is dedicated to the overall wellness of its employees and their families. 
• Facility – The Roseburg Public Safety Center is an exceptional facility with many features, to include built-in training rooms and a robust fitness center.
• Outstanding team members – Ride along and see what we mean!

Learn more about the Roseburg Police Department here:  www.cityofroseburg.org/departments/police

***UPDATE***

The decedent in this case has been identified as Linda Louise Stafford (59) of Roseburg.

On Monday, July 8, 2024 at approximately 3:00 PM, the Roseburg Police Department and emergency personnel responded to the report of a pedestrian hit by a Peterbilt commercial motor vehicle and trailer at the intersection of SE Stephens and SE Douglas Streets.

Preliminary investigation revealed that a commercial motor vehicle and trailer, operated by Dylan York (35), were stopped at a red light, facing southbound, and proceeded through the crosswalk when their light turned green and struck a female who was walking within the crosswalk.

The female was pronounced deceased at the scene by the Douglas County M.E. and has not been identified at this time.  

York was not injured and is cooperating with law enforcement.

The Roseburg Police Department was assisted by the Roseburg Fire Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

On June 19, 2024, at approximately 11:30 AM, the Roseburg Police Department responded to an address in the 1100 block of SE Pine to conduct a welfare check on 77 year old Samuel Steven Smeth.  Smeth was found deceased in his residence.  Next of kin has been notified.  

Roseburg Police detectives, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office detectives, and Oregon State Police responded to assist and will continue to investigate the matter with assistance from the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office. At this time, there is no known ongoing threat to the general public

On June 11, 2024 at approximately 8:40 AM, the Roseburg Police Department and emergency personnel responded to the report of a two-vehicle accident at the intersection of S.E. Pine Street and S.E. Oak Street in Roseburg, OR.

Preliminary investigation indicated a 2019 Ford F-550, operated by Bowan Middlesworth (20) of Azalea, was traveling eastbound on S.E. Oak Street through a red light when a 2012 Toyota Prius, operated by Gene Manor (69) of Roseburg, struck the side of the F-550 near the rear axle.

Manor was declared deceased at the scene.  The passenger of the Toyota Prius, Christopher Ronan (57) of Roseburg, suffered a broken arm.  Neither occupant appeared to be wearing their seatbelts.

The operator of the F-550, Middlesworth, was not injured.

Traffic at the intersection was impacted for approximately 3 hours during the on-scene investigation.  The cause of the crash is still under investigation.

The Roseburg Police Department was assisted by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office Crash Reconstruction Team and Medical Examiner’s Office, the Roseburg Fire Department, Umpqua Valley Ambulance and the Oregon Department of Transportation.

The suspect in this case, Zane Everett Johnston, dob 09-30-03, was contacted by Roseburg CID Detectives in the parking lot at 156 Sunshine Rd at 1:51 PM, and arrested without incident for:

Assault 1

Unlawful Use of a Weapon (Felony)

Menacing

Parole Violation Warrant

No further details are being released at this time.

On April 3, 2024 at approximately 6:00 AM, the Roseburg Police Department responded to the 900 block of NE Willow Street regarding a reported stabbing. When officers arrived, they found a 50 year old Roseburg man was injured due to a stab wound and immediately began life-saving efforts. The injured male was transported to Mercy Medical Center, then later transferred out of the area for additional treatment.

 A suspect in this case, a 20 year old Roseburg man, fled the scene and has not been located despite efforts from multiple assisting agencies and a DCSO K9 track; investigators found the victim and suspect are known to each other. Roseburg Police detectives, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office detectives, DCSO deputies and Oregon State Police responded to assist and will continue to investigate the matter with assistance from the Douglas County District Attorney’s Office. At this time, there is no known ongoing threat to the general public.

At the request of the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Roseburg Police conducted an investigation into allegations that a former Douglas County Sheriff Corrections Deputy had embezzled money. During the investigation, former Deputy Peter Collins, a 44 year old Roseburg resident, admitted to embezzling more than $100,000 from the Douglas County Law Enforcement Association between 2016 and 2023, while serving as the union treasurer.  

Collins was arrested on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, and lodged at Douglas County Corrections for: five counts of Aggravated Theft in the First Degree, five counts of Computer Crime, five counts of Fraudulent Use of a Credit Card, Falsifying Business Records, Forgery 1, and Official Misconduct.

The investigation is ongoing and no further information will be released at this time.

ROSEBURG, Ore. -- Roseburg Police Chief Gary Klopfenstein and his staff spent time Wednesday morning, Oct. 4, chatting with residents on National Coffee with a Cop Day.

Chief Gary Klopfenstein, Officers Spencer Dahl and Brayden Wimberly, and Roseburg Police Staff Assistant Kendall Goodman held a “Coffee with a Cop” event at My Coffee on Garden Valley Boulevard in northwest Roseburg.

Standing near a flaming-orange fire pit on an early fall morning outside the coffee shop, Chief Klopfenstein and his staff spoke with teen and young adult members of a local Bible study group called Youth for Christ, whose members belong to various schools and churches. Longtime Roseburg Police Volunteer Doug Burbridge and retired Roseburg Firefighter John Kay also turned out to show support. 

“I think the guys in the Police Department deserve everything you can do. They bust their butts every day. They work long hours,” said Burbridge.

Chief Klopfenstein and his staff also spoke with families and individuals who stopped by.

The mission of National Coffee with a Cop Day is to break down barriers between Police Officers and the residents they serve by removing agendas and giving residents a chance to ask questions, voice concerns and get to know the Officers in their neighborhood.

“This is a good time for residents to meet the officers who police their community,” Chief Klopfenstein said. “We enjoy the opportunity to get to interact and communicate with community members – especially when they’re not in a time of crisis.” 

In addition, residents with questions or concerns can stop by the Roseburg Public Safety Center at 700 SE Douglas Ave. weekdays from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. or contact the Roseburg Police Department at rpd.mailbox@cityofroseburg.org or 541-492-6760.

Roseburg Police Officers will be participating in a traffic safety campaign focusing on DUII enforcement during August and September. There will be additional Officers working shifts to specifically target DUII drivers. This enforcement campaign was made possible through a grant received from Oregon Impact and the Oregon Department of Transportation.  The Roseburg Police Department, along with the Oregon Department of Transportation, encourages all drivers to plan ahead, and follow these tips:

* Even one drink can impair your judgment and increase the risk of getting arrested for driving drunk--or worse, the risk of having a crash while driving.
* If you will be drinking, do not plan on driving. Plan ahead; designate a sober driver before the party begins.
* If you have been drinking, do not drive. Call a taxi, phone a sober friend or family member or use public transportation.
* Be responsible. If someone you know is drinking, do not let that person get behind the wheel.
* If you see an impaired driver on the road, contact law enforcement. Your actions may save someone's life, and inaction could cost a life.

Remember, it is never safe to drink and drive: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over.

UPDATE

The two suspects from this investigation are:

Jessica Fesella-Yanez (43)

David McKinsey-Pace (30) 

Jessica was taken into custody at 8:49 am on Friday, and was lodged at Douglas County Corrections after she was cleared from Mercy Medical Center. David is still hospitalized, but is in stable condition. 

The Douglas County District Attorney’s Office formally charged Jessica with: 

Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle – (3 counts) 

Possession of a Stolen Vehicle – (2 counts)

Robbery in the Second Degree

Robbery in the Third Degree

Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Police Officer

Unlawful Use of a Weapon

Criminal Mischief in the First Degree – (2 counts)

Criminal Mischief in the Second Degree

Reckless Driving – (2 counts)

Recklessly Endangering Another Person – (4 counts)

Burglary in the First Degree

Burglary in the Second Degree

The Douglas County District Attorney’s Office formally charged David with:

Attempted Murder in the Second Degree

Assault in the Second Degree

Robbery in the Second Degree

Robbery in the Third Degree

Unlawful Use of a Weapon – (3 counts)

Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle – (3 counts)

Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle – (2 counts)

Criminal Mischief in the First Degree – (2 counts)

Recklessly Endangering Another Person – (3 counts)

Fleeing or Attempting to Elude a Police Officer 

No further information will be released at this time, as this is an active investigation.

Pursuit and Officer Involved Shooting in Douglas County

On July 21, 2023 at approximately 7:38 am, Oregon State Police (OSP) initiated a pursuit with a Ford F250 that had been stolen during a violent robbery and burglary in Everett, Washington.  The F250 entered the Roseburg area where it went the wrong way on Interstate 5 and then into the City of Roseburg. The male and female occupants of the F250 stopped in the area of Fulton St. in Roseburg, where they forcefully stole a Toyota Rav4 from an elderly female who was driving by.

OSP located the stolen Rav4 fleeing south through Roseburg. The vehicle fled out of the City, and eventually to the area of the Melrose Store.  The Rav4 struck an OSP vehicle at this location, and then fled southbound. 

The male occupant forcefully carjacked a Subaru car just south of the Melrose Store. During this carjacking, the male suspect ran over the owner of the Subaru, who sustained non-life threatening injuries.  After running over the Subaru owner, the male suspect rammed a Douglas County Sheriff (DCSO) Deputy’s patrol vehicle.  The male suspect sustained two gunshot wounds from DCSO Deputies at this time.  The male suspect was taken into custody, provided with immediate first aid, and transported to Mercy Medical Center. 

The female suspect continued fleeing southbound in the stolen Rav4; she was apprehended in the 8400 block of Lookingglass Road without incident after attempting to enter an occupied residence, and was transported to Mercy as a precaution for a report of Fentanyl use.

It was later learned that both male and female suspects had active warrants for Escape out of Washington. No Law Enforcement were injured during this incident. The Douglas County Major Crimes Team was activated, and Roseburg Police will lead the investigation of the Officer Involved Shooting.

No further information will be released at this time, as this is an active investigation. 

ROSEBURG, Ore. - The Roseburg Police Department will be holding an in-service training for police officers during Roseburg School District's Summer Break. The training will take place Monday, June 19th. 

The training will be held at the Roseburg High School and officers will participate in scenario based training. Continuing education hours keep officers current with their certification requirements mandated by the Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training and to maintain a professional level of service. 

In the interest of public notification and awareness, community members should be aware that the scenario based training will look like an active shooter/active threat response. Simulated gunfire, yelling and a general police presence may be observed by community members in the area. Signage will be present indicating a training exercise is in session. 

"The Roseburg Police Department provides multiple scenario based trainings throughout the year for our officers. As such, we believe it is important to train our officers in the response of active threats. The use of scenario based training provides our officers with the most realistic training possible and helps to develop them professionally in order to better serve our community," said Sgt Daniel Allen. “We are thankful to the Roseburg School District for their support and hospitality in hosting this important training session.”

For the safety of the community and officers, the school campus will be closed to the public during the training session, which starts at 8:00 am and will end at 6:00 pm. 

Any public questions should be directed to the Roseburg Police Department at 541-492-6760 or rpdpio@cityofroseburg.org.

UPDATE- The stabbing victims in this case have all been identified and are in stable condition with non-life threatening injuries.  

ROSEBURG, Ore. – A disturbance at the Roseburg Senior Center, which was being utilized as a temporary warming center for the night, resulted in an officer involved shooting early Tuesday morning. 

On Tuesday, February 28, 2023, at 12:45 a.m., 9-1-1 dispatchers received multiple reports of a disturbance at the Roseburg Senior Center where several individuals had been stabbed by a male who was utilizing the warming center. Officers from the Roseburg Police Department responded to the scene. A male suspect, whose identity is being withheld at this time, refused to comply with officer’s directives and attempts to de-escalate the situation and the use of non-lethal levels of force. Ultimately, an officer utilized lethal force against the subject who died at the scene despite lifesaving efforts. 

The involved officer has been placed on paid administrative leave in keeping with the involved agency’s policy.

The Douglas County Major Crimes Team was activated and is investigating the incident, with the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office assigned as the lead investigating agency for the officer involved shooting. The Roseburg Police Department is investigating the assaults against those utilizing the warming center. 

The Douglas County Major Crimes Team consists of investigators from the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Roseburg Police Department and Oregon State Police working in consultation with the Douglas County District Attorney's Office.

***UPDATE***

The suspect in this case has been identified as 53 year old William Elliott Saffery of Roseburg.  Saffery is currently lodged at the Douglas County Jail and charged with Assault in the First Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Menacing x2, Pointing a Firearm at Another x2, and Felon in Possession of a Weapon.  

The victim was treated at Mercy Medical Center and released later the same day. 

On January 18, 2023 at about 8:40 AM, officers with the Roseburg Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office and Cow Creek Tribal Police responded to a reported shooting in the 500 block of SE Rose Street. The investigation revealed the incident stemmed from a conflict between two individuals who appear to be unknown to each other; there is no known ongoing threat to the public. The involved victim sustained minor, non-life threatening injuries and the suspect has been taken into custody. The investigation is still active and more information will be released when available.