Prineville, Ore. – Prineville, Ore. – A heavy police presence converged on the area of 9th Street and Harwood Avenue late Saturday morning after multiple reports of gunfire prompted an urgent response.
According to the Prineville Police Department, Crook County 911 received several calls at approximately 11:15 a.m. on September 20 reporting shots fired in the neighborhood. Callers said several rounds had been fired into an occupied apartment building in the 500 block of NW 9th Street.
When officers and deputies arrived, they encountered 29-year-old Francisco Alejandro Nunez of Prineville. Authorities said he was armed with both a large knife and a pistol, which were holstered at the time. Officers made repeated attempts to de-escalate the confrontation with verbal commands. When Nunez refused to comply, police deployed less-lethal tools, including bean bag rounds and a Taser, but these attempts were unsuccessful.
Nunez moved westbound on NW 9th Street as officers and deputies worked to contain him and protect nearby residents. The standoff ended near the intersection of NW 9th Street and NW Harwood Avenue, where coordinated efforts allowed officers to approach and safely take him into custody.
Police said Nunez sustained minor injuries during the arrest. He was treated medically before being booked into the Crook County Jail. He is now facing multiple charges, including: Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Recklessly Endangering Another (x3), Menacing, Pointing a Firearm at Another, Criminal Mischief II, & Resisting Arrest.
No community members sustained serious injuries, though police noted one person was exposed to broken glass and suffered a minor injury.
Several local residents captured parts of the incident on video, sharing footage online that showed Prineville Police officers and Crook County Sheriff’s deputies moving in on the suspect. In one widely circulated clip, officers can be heard issuing repeated commands before instructing occupants of a nearby vehicle to leave the area for safety.
Police emphasized that there is no ongoing threat to the community. Detectives continue to investigate the circumstances of the incident, and additional details about what led to the shooting have not yet been released.
The Prineville Police Department extended thanks to the Crook County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, and the City of Prineville Public Works Department for their assistance during the response.
Note: This story was updated to include details following a Mondary press release from the Prineville Police Department following the incident and other information gathered by the Prineville Review
Mr. Alderman is an investigative journalist specializing in government transparency, non-profit accountability, consumer protection, and is a subject mater expert on Oregon’s public records and meetings laws. As a former U.S. Army Military Police Officer, he brings a disciplined investigative approach to his reporting that has frequently exposed ethics violations, financial mismanagement, and transparency failures by public officials and agencies.
