Police say Olympia man hit, killed woman with car after shootout with Oregon police
An Olympia man is accused of getting into a shootout with police in Oregon and taking them on a chase that resulted in him running over a pedestrian last week, according to Oregon State Police.
An OSP report says 47-year-old Sean Beck of Olympia was in Keizer, Oregon on Wednesday night when they received a call for a suspicious vehicle behind a business.
When officers arrived on scene, they said one of two adult males exchanged gunfire with officers before taking off in a vehicle. It is not currently known who fired first, OSP says. The other man stayed behind and was cooperative, while Beck fled.
While driving away from police, Beck struck and killed a pedestrian who was crossing the street near an intersection. Following the hit and run, police say they managed to stop his vehicle, and Beck surrendered after a short standoff. He was taken to an area hospital with several gunshot wounds.
All officers involved have been placed on administrative leave and the incident will be investigated by OSP. The pedestrian Beck struck, 64-year-old Becky Dietzel of Salem, was pronounced dead at the scene.
In a Saturday post on Facebook, Keizer Police Chief John Teague offered his condolences.
“I think it’s important to pause and observe that the greatest tragedy in this incident, by far, is the death of Ms. Dietzel,” Teague said.
Teague said Beck was still in the hospital and that “charges are forthcoming.”
This story was originally published July 31, 2021 at 2:44 PM.
