Man won't face charges for shooting, killing two others

SELMA, Ore. – A man who shot and killed two people will not face criminal consequences for the deaths.

At about 12:30 a.m. on July 27, Oregon State Police troopers responded to a shooting on Highway 199 near Reeves Creek Road in Selma.

When they arrived, troopers found two men dead from gunshot wounds. The men were identified as 28-year-old Matthew J. Cortez and 28-year-old Jesse Swift, both from Cave Junction.

The person who shot Cortez and Swift was detained, but not arrested immediately after shooting. He was later publicly identified as Jesse McCrea.

On December 20, a grand jury was presented with the case. They determined there wasn’t enough evidence to disprove the shooting was done in self-defense. However, they indicted McCrea for driving under the influence of intoxicants.

“It must be noted,” the Josephine County District Attorney’s Office said, “that the use of physical force and/or deadly physical force is analyzed on a case-by-case basis. In each case involving the use of self-defense, a fact-specific inquiry into the reasonableness of the use of self-defense must be made to determine if such actions are justified under Oregon law.”