La Grande Man Gets Five Years for 2021 Shooting

LA GRANDE — On October 4, 2021, the Defendant, Jessey O’Quinn, was with a nineteen-year-old female co-defendant, Parker Burns, in the Clover Glen Apartment complex near a car that had been stolen the week prior. A tenant noticed the two individuals (one wearing a distinctive red sweatshirt and the other wearing a blue sweatshirt) and alerted her husband, Perry Garrison, who was the on-site maintenance worker. Garrison tried to confront O’Quinn and Burns, shoving Burns as they were walking away, in an effort to get their attention. Shortly after Garrison shoved Burns, O’Quinn pulled a 9mm handgun with a red laser attached, shining the laser in Garrison’s eyes. As Garrison turned his head away, O’Quinn fired a shot from the 9mm handgun. The shot missed and Garrison fled back to his apartment where his wife called 911. O’Quinn and Burns fled to a nearby apartment in the Green Tree Apartment complex where the co-defendant hid a backpack containing the 9mm handgun in the bathroom. Police responded to the Clover Glen Apartments and located a pressure activated red laser sight in the parking lot, consistent with the one used during the shooting. Police conducted a search of the surrounding area and located O’Quinn when they arrived at the Green Tree Apartments. Police then took O’Quinn into custody and located his co-defendant in the apartment. Officers received permission from the tenant to search the bathroom of the apartment where the co-defendant was found, and located the backpack containing both a 9mm and a .380 handgun, both belonging to O’Quinn’s significant other.

This case was assigned to Chief Deputy District Attorney Ryan Rodighiero, and the defendant was charged with two counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, one count of Attempted Assault in the Second Degree, two counts of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, one count of Menacing and the Grand Jury later added a charge of Criminal Trespass in the Second Degree. Bail was set at $25,000. Defendant posted bail on October 8, 2021 and was released. While the Defendant’s case was pending, the co-defendant pled guilty and was sentenced on November 3, 2021 on charges of Unlawful Possession of a Destructive Device, Attempted Assault on a Public Safety Officer, Resisting Arrest, and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm stemming from this case. A three-day trial was set for September 13th through the 15th of 2023. The State presented eight witnesses who testified at trial. After all the evidence was presented, visiting Malheur County Judge Lung Hung found the Defendant guilty on September 14, 2023, of two counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, one count of Attempted Assault in the Second Degree, one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and a count of Menacing. Judge Hung sentenced the Defendant on September 15, 2023, to a total of sixty (60) months in prison based upon a firearm minimum sentence with three (3) years of post-prison supervision.

The Union County District Attorney’s Office would like to thank the officers of La Grande Police Department, the deputies of the Union County Sheriff’s Office, and the troopers of the Oregon State Police that worked together to resolve this dangerous situation quickly and peacefully. Any further inquiries may be directed toward the prosecutor on this case, Chief Deputy District Attorney Ryan Rodighiero.

---

---

---

---

Elkhorn Media Group