Hunter Newton: Taco Bell Traffic Stop Shooting and Grand Jury Decision

The Hunter Newton Milwaukie police shooting happened just before 1 a.m. on September 30, 2024, when two Milwaukie officers shot the 21-year-old during a traffic stop at a Taco Bell drive-thru after hearing what they thought was a gunshot from inside his car. Newton was unarmed and no firearm was recovered from the vehicle. He survived but is permanently disabled, with a bullet lodged inoperably in his brain. In June 2025, a Clackamas County grand jury declined to indict the two officers, finding insufficient evidence for criminal charges.¹

What Happened at the Taco Bell Drive-Thru

Sergeant Eduardo Sanchez pulled Newton over for a traffic violation and driving on a criminally suspended license. Newton did not stop immediately, instead driving into the Taco Bell parking lot in the 11000 block of Southeast Oak Street. Officer Kwasean Akom arrived to assist.²

Sanchez told Newton he was under arrest and ordered him out of the car. Newton, who said he was coming from the gym, refused. The officers tried to physically pull him from the driver’s seat, and Akom said he would cut the seatbelt. About 40 seconds into the struggle, both officers reported hearing a “muffled pop” from inside the vehicle.³ Akom’s body camera captured him exclaiming about a possible gun. Both officers stepped back and fired multiple rounds at Newton while he sat in the driver’s seat.

No gun was ever found in the car. The Oregon Department of Justice later said surveillance footage appeared to show a small object being propelled from the vehicle, producing what the agency described as a small explosion and a loud noise. Witnesses near the Taco Bell told investigators they too had heard a sound resembling a gunshot before the officers opened fire.¹ No public account has identified what the object was.

Newton’s Injuries and the Delay in Medical Aid

Newton was shot in the shoulder and the back of the head. He was taken to Oregon Health & Science University and remained in critical condition for weeks. His family says one of the bullets is lodged in his brain and cannot be removed.⁴ His attorneys describe him as permanently incapacitated and in need of lifelong medical care.⁵

According to the Portland law firm Kell, Alterman & Runstein, which initially represented the family, officers waited roughly 30 minutes before providing medical aid. Body camera footage released by the Oregon DOJ shows the officers and a Clackamas County sheriff’s deputy standing back with weapons drawn after the shooting, repeatedly ordering Newton to show his hands.⁴ The Milwaukie Police Department declined to comment on the allegation.

Why the Grand Jury Declined to Indict

Both officers were placed on paid administrative leave. On October 9, 2024, Clackamas County District Attorney John Wentworth asked the Oregon Department of Justice to take over the criminal investigation, and the DOJ led the case for the following months.⁴

On June 12, 2025, the DOJ announced that a Clackamas County grand jury had returned a “not true bill,” meaning it found insufficient evidence to warrant criminal charges against either Sanchez or Akom. The grand jury had reviewed body-worn camera footage from both officers, area surveillance video, physical evidence, and testimony from eyewitnesses and experts.¹ The DOJ released the body camera footage and other evidence to the public the same day.

The Milwaukie Police Department said the criminal investigation was closed and that it would request the grand jury transcript and investigator reports from the DOJ to begin its own internal administrative review of the use of force.⁶

Planned Civil Lawsuit

Newton’s family rejected the grand jury’s decision. Attorney Thomas Rask, who represents the family along with Zachary Walker, said the outcome “forecloses on some of the justice the family is seeking for Hunter,” describing him as “a young man who had his full life ahead of him, and in one moment, that changed forever.”⁵

Walker said the legal team is focused on securing what Newton needs for ongoing care, and the attorneys said they expect to file civil litigation against the Milwaukie Police Department, Clackamas County, and others involved.⁷ As of mid-2025, no civil lawsuit had been filed. Earlier in the case, Kell, Alterman & Runstein said the available information indicated the officers “had no reason to escalate the encounter to a circumstance where Hunter could lose his life or suffer life-altering injuries” and raised concerns the officers had violated Newton’s constitutional rights.⁴

The Two Officers Involved

Sergeant Eduardo Sanchez had served ten years with the Milwaukie Police Department at the time of the shooting and previously worked at the Forest Grove Police Department. Officer Kwasean Akom had been with Milwaukie police for about a year and a half, having finished his field training in January 2024.² Reporting on the case has not surfaced public records of prior complaints or use-of-force incidents involving either officer.

1
Oregon Department of Justice. Clackamas County Grand Jury Finds Insufficient Evidence for Criminal Charges in Milwaukie Shooting Involving Police
2
Clackamas County. Update on Milwaukie Police Department Officer-Involved Shooting
3
OregonLive. Grand Jury Declines to Indict Milwaukie Officers in Shooting of 21-Year-Old Man
4
OPB. Milwaukie Police Shooting Man Critical Condition
5
Portland Tribune. No Charges for Milwaukie Officers Who Shot Unarmed Man Last Fall
6
KPTV. No Charges for Milwaukie Police Officers Who Shot Unarmed Man at Taco Bell Drive-Thru
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Your Oregon News. No Charges for Milwaukie Officers Who Shot Unarmed Man Last Fall