AUTHORITIES DISCLOSE MARIJUANA HAUL

* Officers say they found dozens of plants and stolen guns at a home where a
suspect was slain after he wounded two deputies

ROSEBURG -- An indoor marijuana operation that Douglas County officials say
was taking in nearly $60,000 every 45 days was found in the home of the
suspect who wounded two narcotics agents Friday.

Lewis Stanley McClendon, 63, used a .367-magnum pistol to fire on officers
"about four seconds after they pulled in front of his house," said Detective
Curt Strickland, lead investigator on the shooting. Return gunfire killed
McClendon.

McClendon was shot seven times in the front and side of his body, Deputy
Medical Examiner Rick Bennewate said Tuesday at a news conference.

The results of a toxicology screening sent to the Oregon State Crime Lab had
not returned, Bennewate said.

McClendon, formerly of Shasta County, Calif., had a criminal history of
armed robbery, burglary and drug offenses. Of the nine firearms recovered
from the house, three had been reported stolen in Oregon, including the
pistol McClendon allegedly used to fire on the officers.

Meth paraphernalia Detectives also retrieved methamphetamine paraphernalia
from the house, though they did not find indications of the substance,
Strickland said.

Six interagency narcotics agents -- four in an unmarked white Dodge Caravan
and two in a camouflage truck -- arrived early Friday at McClendon's remote
house about 17 miles north of Tiller to serve him a search warrant. One
sheriff's deputy in a patrol car followed the two vehicles.

As officers slid open the door of the van, Strickland said, McClendon
appeared from behind the garage door.

"Nothing was said. He just started shooting," Strickland said.

Deputy Coy Kratz, 33, who was driving the van, was hit in the leg. The
bullet passed through a thigh and into his other leg. Kratz was shot again
as he attempted to climb back into the van. A third shot to the leg caused
him to collapse on the ground, Strickland said.

Kratz, who underwent surgery Friday at Mercy Medical Center to remove bullet
fragments, returned to surgery Monday. He is reported to be in good
condition and is expected to be released today.

Second deputy wounded Shots struck an inner thigh and the chest of Deputy
Jeffrey Admire, 33, who was sitting directly behind Kratz in the van's
passenger seat and was holding the metal battering ram the team often uses
to gain entrance. The protective vest he was wearing deflected the bullet.

Admire was released from Mercy Medical Center on Saturday morning.

When Kratz and Admire were hit, Strickland said, three officers immediately
returned fire, striking McClendon. Those officers then attempted to move
Kratz to a safer location. Detecting movement from McClendon, they again
opened fire.

The officers' guns fired a total of 34 rounds. McClendon fired six rounds,
Strickland said.

After securing the house, investigators found 19 marijuana plants about 6
feet to 8 feet tall in one bedroom and 33 plants 2 feet to 3 feet tall in
another bedroom. Strickland described it as a sophisticated growing
operation.

The commander of the interagency narcotics team, Mike Nores, said his
officers are finding more indoor marijuana operations in Douglas County
since law enforcement agents began cracking down on outdoor operations
several years ago. He said marijuana is the second-leading drug his team
investigates, after methamphetamine.

Deputy District Attorney Bill Marshall said at the news conference that a
grand jury might hold a hearing on the incident, though at this point "it
appears that all shootings by law enforcement were justified."

Checked-by: Rolf Ernst