By Katie Frankowicz, KMUN Radio News Director
ROCKAWAY BEACH, Ore. — The fatal shooting of a Rockaway Beach man by officers in September was justified according to findings released this week.
In a lengthy statement, Tillamook County District Attorney Aubrey Olson detailed her review of the Clatsop County Major Crimes Team investigation into the incident, described the events leading up to the shooting and, for the first time, released the names of the victim and the officers involved.
On Sept.7, Deputy Terrance Watters with the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office responded to a 911 call from a house on North Juniper Street in Rockaway Beach. The caller said her son, Tyran “Ty” Meirow, was behaving erratically and breaking windows at her house. She said she was afraid he would hurt her.
When Watters arrived, Meirow threw a brick at the deputy’s vehicle, shattering the glass, and threatened the deputy with bricks and a metal stake or pipe. He threatened to kill his mother and began walking toward the house.
Oregon State Police Trooper Thomas Mayne arrived soon after Watters and Meirow threw bricks at his vehicle as well.
According to Olson’s findings, the officers tried to deescalate the situation over the next four minutes.
In that time, Mayne used his taser, but was unsuccessful. Meirow threw a brick at the trooper, hitting him in the knee. The officers retreated behind their vehicles while Meirow continued to throw rocks and break windows.
The officers warned Meirow that he could be shot if he tried to go into the house. Meirow reportedly encouraged the officers to kill him and told the officers he would kill them.
Neighbors, who witnessed the incident, told KMUN that the officers pleaded with Meirow to calm down. Meirow’s mother also was yelling at him from an upstairs window to stop. Several of the neighbors had called 911 when Meirow first began screaming and throwing things at the house, and after Watters arrived.
Then Meirow broke a picture window at the front of the house and climbed inside, wielding a piece of metal. Mayne immediately fired at Meirow, followed by Watters. The officers each fired one shot.
They entered the house and found Meirow on the ground, bleeding. They provided first aid and CPR until medics arrived, but Meirow died at the scene.
According to the major crimes team’s investigation, neither officer had encountered Meirow before. Earlier that day, Watters had received a complaint about a man, who may have been Meirow, who was threatening people near the jetty in Barview, but Watters had not been able to locate the man.
In her conclusion, Olson wrote that the officers “responded to a call where they knew a male subject was armed with dangerous weapons and was breaking windows. … [Meirow] only escalated his behavior as the officers attempted to deescalate the situation, and each officer suffered injury resulting from [Meirow’s] attacks.”
She noted that Meirow ignored multiple warnings from the officers.
“Because [Meirow] had already attacked each officer and had threatened to kill them and his mother, both Deputy Watters and Trooper Mayne believed the subject would cause serious physical injury or death to [Meirow’s mother] if they did not use deadly physical force,” she wrote.
She concluded that deadly force was justified since the officers held a “reasonable belief” that Meirow was “committing or attempting to commit a felony involving the use or threatened imminent use of physical force against a person” and that he was attempting to break into the house and planned to harm, or try to harm, his mother.
“As such, no further action will be taken by the Tillamook County District Attorney.”
Meirow’s family members have described the incident as a mental health issue. They could not be immediately reached for comment.
Here is the full-text of the Tillamook County District Attorney’s press release:
The Tillamook County District Attorney has concluded her review of the Clatsop County Major Crimes Team investigation into the officer involved shooting that occurred September 7, 2023, in Rockaway Beach, Oregon. The investigation revealed Cynthia Monroe from Rockaway Beach called 911 to request police assistance due to her “crazy” son (Tyran “Ty” Meirow) breaking windows out at her house. Ms. Monroe reported her son was armed with bricks and metal stakes, and she was afraid he would hurt her. Ms. Monroe then locked herself in her upstairs bedroom.
Deputy Terrance Watters with the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office was the first officer to arrive.
Upon his arrival, Mr. Meirow threw a brick at the driver’s window, breaking it and causing glass to hit Deputy Watters. Mr. Meirow then armed himself with another brick, and Deputy Watters issued verbal commands for him to “get down” and to “drop the rock.” Mr. Meirow refused and
instead issued threats to Deputy Watters. Approximately one minute into the encounter, Mr. Meirow, then armed with a metal stake or pipe while standing in the road, told Deputy Watters he was “going to kill his mom now.” At that point, Mr. Meirow turned and began walking toward the house.
Trooper Thomas Mayne with the Oregon State Police arrived on scene shortly after, and Mr. Meirow immediately began throwing bricks at Trooper Mayne’s vehicle.
Over the course of four minutes, Deputy Watters and Trooper Mayne attempted to deescalate the situation. Trooper Mayne deployed his Taser twice, but it was unsuccessful. Mr. Meirow responded by throwing a brick at Trooper Mayne, striking and causing injury to his knee. Trooper Mayne and Deputy Watters retreated to cover behind their vehicles, and Mr. Meirow continued to throw rocks and break windows with the metal stake/pipe. Ms. Monroe was in a room above the garage and could be heard yelling from the window for Mr. Meirow to stop. Mr. Meirow threw a brick at the window, striking and breaking it.
Trooper Mayne and Deputy Watters issued multiple warnings to Mr. Meirow that he could/would be shot if he entered the house, especially as Mr. Meirow began breaking the glass to the front door. Mr. Meirow responded by encouraging them to kill him and that he would kill the officers.
Both officers pleaded with Mr. Meirow to stop and to calm down, each saying they did not want to shoot Mr. Meirow. However, Mr. Meirow refused to follow commands. Four minutes after Trooper Mayne arrived on scene, Mr. Meirow entered the house through a large picture window on the first level. Trooper Mayne immediately fired his weapon with Deputy Watters firing immediately after. The officers each fired one shot.
The officers then entered the house to apprehend Mr. Meirow and to provide first aid. Upon entry, the officers found Mr. Meirow laying on the ground and bleeding. They provided first aid and CPR until medics arrived; however Mr. Meirow died on scene.
Further investigation revealed that while some officers in Tillamook County had prior encounters with Mr. Meirow, neither Deputy Watters nor Trooper Mayne had encountered him prior to responding to this call. Deputy Watters did have some information prior to the call regarding a subject, possibly Mr. Meirow, from a complaint earlier the same day. In that call, a passerby had reported a subject named “Ty” was near the jetty in Barview and had threatened community members while possibly armed with a metal pipe. Deputy Watters responded to assist with locating that subject, but he never encountered him.
Under Oregon law, a person may use physical force against another to defend oneself or a third person “from what the person reasonably believes to be the use or imminent use of unlawful physical force, and the person may use a degree of force which the person reasonably believes to be necessary for the purpose.” ORS 161.209. However, deadly physical force is only justified when:
the person reasonably believes that the other person is: (1) Committing or attempting to commit a felony involving the use or threatened imminent use of physical force against a person; or (2) Committing or attempting to commit a burglary in a dwelling; or (3) Using or about to use unlawful deadly physical force against a person. ORS 161.219.
In reviewing whether deadly physical force is justified, we can only consider the facts from the viewpoint of the person who used deadly physical force. Here, the officers responded to a call where they knew a male subject was armed with dangerous weapons and was breaking windows.
Upon each officer’s arrival, the male, later identified as Mr. Meirow, immediately began throwing bricks at them and their vehicles. Mr. Meirow only escalated his behavior as the officers attempted to deescalate the situation, and each officer suffered injury resulting from Mr. Meirow’s attacks.
Finally, after multiple warnings, Mr. Meirow ignored commands and entered the residence while armed with a metal stake or pipe. Because Mr. Meirow had already attacked each officer and had threatened to kill them and his mother, both Deputy Watters and Trooper Mayne believed the
subject would cause serious physical injury or death to Ms. Monroe if they did not use deadly physical force.
It is the District Attorney’s opinion that both Deputy Watters and Trooper Mayne were justified in using deadly physical force, as they each had a reasonable belief that Mr. Meirow was (1) committing or attempting to commit a felony involving the use or threatened imminent use of physical force against a person, (2) committing or attempting to commit a burglary in a dwelling, and/or (3) using or about to use unlawful deadly physical force against a person. As such, no further action will be taken the Tillamook County District Attorney.