An investigation into a police shooting in Seaside earlier this month that resulted in the death of a Washington man concluded that officers were justified in returning fire.
Officers shot and killed 24-year-old Hayes Miles McCloud of Eatonville, Washington in the Cove area in Seaside on July 8. McCloud was a suspect in two homicides in Washington and law enforcement believed he was armed. A statewide alert had gone out to local police agencies in an attempt to locate him.
According to Oregon State Police, the Seaside Police Department found McCloud in his vehicle on Sunset Boulevard in Seaside. After officers from other departments arrived at the scene, McCloud allegedly fired at them. Officers fired back. McCloud fled the scene in his car, but was found dead in his car not far away.
This week, Clatsop County District Attorney Ron Brown identified Gearhart Police Officer Jeremiah Mares and Cannon Beach Police Officer James Jordan as the officers who fired at McCloud.
Mares has been employed with the Gearhart Police Department since 2023. Jordan has worked with the Cannon Beach Police Department since 2015. He previously served as a reserve for the department and also worked for the Seaside Police Department.
Both men remain on paid administrative leave.
Fatal officer-involved shootings are a rare occurrence in Clatsop County.
Gearhart Police Chief Joshua Gregory said that, as far as he knows, the shooting on July 8 was the first time Gearhart police have been involved in this type of incident.
Mares is one of only three full-time police officers employed by the Gearhart Police Department and summer can be a particularly busy time for local law enforcement.
With Mares out on leave during the investigation, Gregory said, “It’s challenging as far as staffing goes, but it’s understandable why.”
Brown said the investigation into the shooting — led by Oregon State Police — is nearly done. The district attorney’s office will publish a memorandum outlining the investigation and the office’s conclusion.