Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel has identified the man shot and killed outside a Bend nightclub Sunday as 22-year-old Barry Washington.
A suspect, 27-year-old Ian Cranston of Redmond, was arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter.
He was released from jail after posting bail.
The incident started just after midnight on Sunday when police were called to downtown Bend after reports of a fight and shooting on NW Oregon Avenue.
“This happened outside the Capitol nightclub in Downtown Bend,” Hummel told Central Oregon Daily News. “Around midnight there was the victim Barry Washington, he had approached a woman and complimented her.”
The woman turned him down, saying she had a boyfriend, and Washington responded appropriately, Hummel said.
Later in the evening, Washington approached her a second time, though it was unclear whether he was aware that it was the same woman he had approached before.
Her boyfriend, identified as Cranston, wasn’t happy, Hummel said.
“Some words were exchanged, and some punches were thrown,” he said.
Washington was in the midst of a fight with one of Cranston’s friends when Cranston shot him, Hummel said.
“Mr. Cranston and others rendered aid, 911 was called, Mr. Washington was taken to St. Charles Hospital…where unfortunately he died in the emergency room,” Hummel said.
Hummel explained the manslaughter charges against Cranston.
“It was not planned in advance, it happened during a chaotic situation, it happened between people who don’t know each other,” he said.
Cranston was in possession of a concealed carry license at the time, and the gun was recovered at the scene.
He was released after paying 10% of his $100,000 bail Sunday afternoon.
“On the weekend, there’s no court hearings, there’s no adversarial process, I’m not there, the suspect’s attorney’s not there,” Hummel said. “So the judge has given the jail deputies a bail schedule, and Mr. Cranston paid the bail schedule amount for the charge he was arrested for and that’s why he was released. He was treated the same as any other person would be in his situation.”
Video of the incident was recovered from a City of Bend municipal camera across the street, and witnesses have since come forward to provide information.
“We are confident we know the facts of what happened,” Hummel said. “We’ll be presenting the matter to a grand jury shortly, we don’t have that date scheduled but it will be in the near future before Mr. Cranston’s court hearing.”
The Deschutes County grand jury will make the final choice on which charges are leveled against Cranston.
Hummel said Cranston is not likely to be helped by self-defense law in his case.
“Mr. Cranston used deadly physical force, and a lot of times people think about self-defense, but they don’t consider the distinction on self-defense law in Oregon,” he said. “You’re allowed to use non-deadly physical force at a pretty low bar. If someone comes up and shoves you and pushes you, you can shove and push them back, and that’s not a crime…but if you’re going to kill someone, there’s a much higher standard that Oregon law sets, which it should.
“You can only use deadly physical force if you or someone else is about to be killed or about to be seriously physically injured. There is no allegation here that Mr. Washington was trying to kill anyone, or trying to seriously physically injure anyone.
“There are allegations that there was some pushing and shoving going on, but that does not come anywhere near the level that must be shown by someone before you can legally take a gun out and kill them. If Mr. Cranston thinks that what he did was appropriate, he’s sadly mistaken.”
Hummel said there is no evidence that Cranston was mentally impaired at the time, and though he had been drinking, there is no evidence that he was significantly impaired or that he was impaired to any degree based on blood alcohol levels.
On Monday, friends and family had created a memorial where Washington was killed.
“I’ll tell Mr. Washington’s family…I’ll tell them right now, me and my deputies are looking at this case very carefully,” Hummel said. “This was a member of our community, a young man who was out enjoying himself with friends, and by all accounts he approached a woman respectfully and complimented her, you’re allowed to do that in this country.
“He did not grab the woman without her consent, he was not rude to her, he complimented her. Her boyfriend couldn’t handle that, and acted wholly inappropriately, acted criminally, and what he did has no place in our society, it certainly has no place in downtown Bend.
“We will present to the grand jury every charge that we think is appropriate.”
Cranston will appear in court on October 5th. He has no previous criminal record.
Until then, Hummel and the police hope the public can help them further piece together the events of that morning.
“Bend police are looking for anybody who may have been witness to the shooting downtown, we’re looking for any videos or photos or anybody who was a witness and might have statements that they can provide to us, that would be very helpful….please contact our non-emergency dispatch line, speak to an officer or a detective and there may be further follow-up as well,” said Lt. Juli McConkey.
You can call the non-emergency dispatch line to speak with an officer or detective at 541-693-6911.
