BEND, OREGON — A man with a concealed carry permit was approached by a man who had a large hunting knife and seemed to be high on drugs. The man with the knife was with another man, and the concealed carrier had a decision to make.
Local media reports;
Bend Police say Robert Joseph Garris, 39, shot Christopher Michael Nolan, 39, “multiple times” outside the Jack in the Box at 805 NE Third St. Nolan had allegedly pulled out a knife at about 9:38 p.m. and approached Garris, who was staying at a nearby motel, police said.
“It’s just one of those things that you hope never happens,” Garris said Wednesday. “But it happened, and now I’ve got to live with it for the rest of my life.”
Garris said Nolan approached him acting aggressively and wielding a large hunting knife. Nolan was with another man, said Garris, who added that he did not know either individual. Garris said he warned the men several times before firing.
While the shooting is under investigation, video from the area gives credit to Garris’ account of what went down that evening.
Nolan was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries but is expected to survive.
This isn’t the first time that Nolan has been in trouble, and his record dates back all the way to 1999.
And just a few years ago, he had a similar encounter with law enforcement;
Nolan has a criminal record in Oregon dating to 1999, including numerous felony convictions for drugs, theft and assault. He was arrested in 2015 in Bend after challenging three police officers to kill him while he wielded a large knife. He reportedly began cutting his wrists and neck as he ran away.
This seems like a man with a troubled history and troubled life. We can hope that he receives the help he needs, and we are grateful that Garris was not injured during this incident.
Let this serve as a reminder, like many other stories on this website, of how important it is to be ready to defend ourselves against threats that we never anticipate.
