A Umatilla man was arrested late Saturday night and charged with negligent manslaughter after his wife’s father was shot and killed by an AR-15 assault rifle.
Benjamin W. Martin, 29, also faces charges of use of a deadly weapon and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. He is being held in the Marion County Jail on $42,000 bond.
Marion County Sheriff’s Major Crimes detectives identified the shooting victim as 51-year-old William Hall. He was shot in the chest and pronounced dead by Marion County Fire Rescue paramedics a short time later.
The shooting took place after Martin got into a physical altercation with his soon-to-be ex-wife’s boyfriend at her home in the 17000 block of SE 260th Avenue Road in Umatilla. Hall was an innocent bystander in the home when the altercation broke out, a sheriff’s office report states.
Witnesses told deputies and detectives that during the altercation, Martin pulled a handgun out of his waistband and held it to his side. They said the boyfriend struck Martin several times while trying to defend himself, the sheriff’s office report says.
During the incident, an off-duty Groveland Police officer who is related to Hall’s daughter arrived at the home and separated Martin and the boyfriend. Martin then retrieved the assault rifle from his vehicle and pointed it at the boyfriend, who “rushed” him to deflect the rifle away, the report says.
During the scuffle, the gun discharged and struck Hall, the sheriff’s office report says, adding that another round also struck the boyfriend, leaving him with a superficial wound on his thigh that was treated by paramedics at the scene.
Once Martin was disarmed, the off-duty Groveland Police officer secured him until deputies arrived, the report says.
Records show that Martin is no stranger to the Marion County legal system. He also was arrested on May 7, 2012 and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon without intent to kill. That charge stemmed from a road rage incident where pointed a rifle at a woman while driving, the sheriff’s office report states.
Marion County Court records show that on April 3, 2013, Martin was found guilty of a lesser charge, improper exhibition of a firearm, and was placed on probation for one year. After completing 100 hours of anger management counseling, Martin “demonstrated remorse” for the incident, paid all fines and court costs and was granted early termination of probation in October 2013, court records show.