MAN DEPUTIES SHOT NEARLY HIT PORTLAND OFFICER MONTHS AGO

A man fatally shot by Washington County deputies as he rammed their patrol cars a week ago nearly hit a Portland police officer during a traffic stop five months ago, a report revealed Friday. Also, the Washington County Sheriff's Office defended deputies taking along a 17-year-old girl to wait for the man to show up at his house, although deputies knew he was a wanted felon who vowed not to go back to prison.

Shane Miguel Grundmeyer, 38, died Feb. 16 after police shot him a few hundred yards from his Cooper Mountain home in Aloha. He had sped away from a traffic stop in Beaverton about 15 minutes earlier.

Five months ago, Officer Robert Jackson of the Portland Police Bureau's drug and vice division wrote that Grundmeyer narrowly missed hitting him after he walked up to the window of a Ford Explorer during a traffic stop. "There was no doubt in my mind the driver intentionally tried to run me over," Jackson reported.

Jackson said he saw the Explorer speed away from a known drug house on Northeast Brazee Street in Portland about 11:45 p.m. Sept. 19, going about 50 mph in a 25-mph zone. The driver finally pulled into a driveway in the 8200 block of Northeast Tillamook Street and identified himself as Shane Grundmeyer but said he didn't have his license with him. "Go and look me up in your computer," he said.

Jackson said the driver was sweating on a cool night and appeared nervous. He jammed the Explorer into reverse and made a hard turn toward the officer.

"I ran and jumped out of the path of the SUV as it spun its tires toward me," Jackson wrote. "I guess the SUV missed hitting me by a foot or less."

Portland police were going to have the Washington County Tactical Negotiations Team serve a warrant at Grundmeyer's house this week in connection with that traffic incident and several fraud cases.

Sgt. David Thompson, a sheriff's spokesman, said an informant reported that Grundmeyer, who has a history of theft and fraud convictions, knew about the warrant, had weapons and wouldn't go peacefully. The deputies involved in the fatal shooting were members of the Washington County team. By chance, they had the 17-year-old girl with them on a ride-along for a school project.

The girl, whom the sheriff's office declined to identify, wants to be a police officer. Her parents signed a permission form and liability waiver, Thompson said.

"Anything we do, even a routine traffic stop, can be dangerous," he said. "We want the public to see what we do." The deputies were responsible for the girl and couldn't let her out on her own, even though there is a fire station less than two miles from Grundmeyer's home, Thompson said. There wasn't time for the girl to call another ride.

Grundmeyer, driving a silver BMW, blew by deputies Jamison Goetz and Cade Edwards, who were waiting on Southwest 175th Avenue. They followed him onto Shadypeak Lane, a narrow gravel road that climbs through a wooded area.

Grundmeyer pulled into the first driveway, a half circle, on the road. One deputy pulled in behind him, and the other drove around in front, boxing him in, Thompson said.

Grundmeyer then drove forward and backward, ramming each patrol car at least twice, Thompson said. Goetz and Edwards got out of their cars to pull their guns and arrest Grundmeyer, Thompson said. The girl stayed in a patrol car.

They fired at Grundmeyer when he refused repeated commands to get out of his vehicle and continued to ram the patrol cars, Thompson said.

Grundmeyer's father, Michael, scoffed at reports that his son was violent or tried to hurt anyone. "Anybody who knew Shane knew he couldn't fight his way out of a wet paper bag," Michael Grundmeyer said Friday. "The cops can say anything they want -- Shane can't defend himself."