Charges Dropped Against Florence Man Who Lost Arm in Homemade Grenade Incident

Lane County prosecutors dismissed all charges against David Ray Allen, the Florence man who lost part of his arm when a homemade grenade detonated in his hands as he tried to drive off suspected car prowlers last June.

Allen had faced charges of unlawful possession and manufacturing of a destructive device following the incident at an apartment complex near 43rd and Oak Streets in Florence. Prosecutors filed the charges roughly two months after the June 2025 incident, but last month moved to dismiss the indictment entirely.

Their reasoning was direct: "The state of the evidence is such that a material element of the crime cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt," Lane County prosecutors stated.

The case began when Allen attempted to throw the homemade grenade at suspected car prowlers near his apartment complex. The device detonated before he could release it, severing part of his arm. Despite suffering that severe injury in what he apparently intended as self-help against property crime, Allen still faced criminal exposure under Oregon law governing destructive devices before prosecutors concluded the evidentiary threshold for conviction could not be met.

With the dismissal, the legal proceedings against Allen have concluded. No charges remain pending against him in connection with the incident.