Springfield police shoot at armed suspect who fled into Willamette River
A domestic assault call on Janus Street turned into gunfire after Springfield police say Zachery Greer aimed a rifle at officers and fled into the Willamette River. No one was hit.
A domestic assault call on Springfield’s west side escalated into gunfire after police say a man pointed a rifle at officers and then tried to escape by running into the Willamette River. The confrontation unfolded near Janus Street, Rainbow Drive and West D Street, pulling a neighborhood response into a fast-moving public safety incident late at night.
Springfield police said officers were sent to the 600 block of Janus Street around 10:30 p.m. on June 19 after a report that a man with a gun had attacked a family member. Police identified the suspect as 38-year-old Zachery Greer and said he fired a gun before leaving the home. As officers searched the area, they later found Greer near Rainbow Drive and West D Street.
Police said Greer did not follow commands and ran south into the river instead. Once he was in the water, officers say he pointed a rifle at them and shots were exchanged. No one was hit. The scene turned from a domestic-violence response into a larger, multi-agency operation as officers worked around the home, nearby streets and the river corridor while Greer moved downstream.
Greer was apprehended after floating down the river a short distance and was booked into the Lane County Jail. He is facing attempted murder, unlawful use of a weapon, menacing and assault charges. Springfield detectives are investigating the initial assault call, while the Lane County Sheriff’s Office was asked to investigate the shooting itself.
The case shows how quickly a domestic disturbance can spill beyond one household and into the surrounding community. In this case, the risk extended from the first 911 call on Janus Street to the streets near Rainbow Drive and West D Street, and then into the Willamette River, where officers exchanged gunfire with an armed suspect before taking him into custody. The separate investigations into the alleged assault and the shooting will now determine how the confrontation unfolded and how Springfield police responded.
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