Aloha Man Shot and Killed After Pointing Gun At Deputies

Friday, January 02, 2015
Kirsten Nicolaisen, GoLocalPDX Content Manager

Washington County Sheriff's Deputies responded to a call from a woman who reported she had been injured by her husband. Shortly after deputies arrived, the husband pointed a gun at them, forcing the deputies to shoot him, according to the Sheriff's office. The man was pronounced deceased at the scene. 

The woman called emergency personnel to her apartment at 4519 Southwest Masters Loop at 1:12 a.m. on Jan. 2, and said that her husband was very ill and unresponsive. Three deputies and Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue attempted treatment on Lewis Lembke, 47, for an over-consumption of alcohol. 

Lembke became more lucid and refused further treatment. There were no crimes committed and Lembke had the ability to make his own health care decisions, so the deputies left the residence at 2:17 a.m., according to the Sheriff's office. 

At 2:21 a.m., the woman called the three sheriff's deputies back to the residence reporting that Lembke had become violent. She said that he chocked and assaulted her. She locked herself in the bathroom until deputies arrived and moved her to safety.  

When deputies attempted to contact Lembke, he partially emerged out of a bedroom doorway holding a semi-automatic handgun, according to the deputies.

The deputies gave commands ordering Lembke to drop his gun, but moments later, Lembke pointed the handgun directly at the deputies forcing them to shoot him. Deputies immediately began CPR and continued until paramedics arrived and took over. Shortly thereafter, Lewis Lee Lembke was pronounced dead at the apartment, according to the sheriff's office. 

The Washington County Major Crimes Team responded to investigate the incident. They were assisted by the Oregon State Police Forensics Unit and the Washington County Forensics Science Unit to process the scene and collect all evidence. Investigators discovered that Mr. Lembke's handgun had one of the responding deputy's bullets lodged in the front of the frame below the barrel. 

The Sheriff's Deputies were placed on administrative leave which is standard procedure and their names will be released next week after the investigation has been completed, according to the sheriff's office.