Polk County prosecutors declined charges in an October 2025 West Salem parking lot confrontation, citing evidence showing the injured man was the aggressor with a knife.
Polk County, OR. — After reviewing investigative materials from the Salem Police Department, the Polk County District Attorney’s Office has decided not to file criminal charges in connection with an October 19, 2025 incident in the Roth’s Fresh Markets parking lot on Wallace Avenue in West Salem.
According to the DA’s statement, investigators analyzed witness statements, numerous reports, and video footage from multiple angles before determining that Mr. Luis Velasquez was the aggressor. Evidence showed that Velasquez verbally initiated the confrontation, brandished a knife, and tried to puncture the other participant’s tires before being struck by that person’s vehicle while the latter was attempting to flee.
Velasquez suffered life-threatening injuries, but prosecutors concluded the driver acted in reaction to the threatening behavior. After leaving the scene, the driver contacted public safety officials and turned himself in to Salem Police, fully cooperating with detectives…