THE shooting and killing of Dublin man Andrew Hanlon in Oregon on June 30 was legally justified according to a Marion County grand jury which ruled on Thursday, July 24. Silverton police officer Tony Gonzalez, 35, was within his legal rights as an officer of the law to shoot 20-year-old Hanlon after responding to a burglary report on June 30. Gonzalez, who is currently in Polk County jail, Oregon on unrelated sexual abuse charges, remains on paid administrative leave from the force. Steve Crew, the lawyer representing the Hanlon family, spoke on behalf of the family on Thursday. Crew told reporters that the jury interviewed a number of witnesses, and based on their testimony, they felt the shooting was justified."It's disappointing and a bit of a surprise," he said. In Oregon, police may use deadly physical force if their lives or the lives of others are in imminent danger.Four weeks after the incident, the Marion County District Attorney's Office released a detailed report of the events leading up to Hanlon's death. According to the report, Hanlon, 5'6", began knocking on the door of a blue farmhouse about 11:20 p.m. on Monday, June 30. The lady living in the house, Shannon Kelley, initially thought her husband, Josiah, had forgotten his keys, but before she reached the front door, the knocking became more aggressive and turned into pounding, said the report.According to Hanlon's brother-in-law, Nathan Heise, Andrew had a habit of banging on their front door at night. Heise feels Hanlon may have been confused as to where he was. The shooting took place four blocks from the Heise home. After turning the light on, Kelley discovered Hanlon looking in her front windows and beating at her door. She asked him to leave but Hanlon refused and began leaping at the door. Police later discovered Hanlon's blood and skin on the door's white surface. The report continued, stating that Hanlon, whose sister said he had some psychological problems in the past but was fine before his death, told Kelley he was the "angel of death" and he howled at the moon. She called the police. Hanlon left Kelly's house and climbed a tree near a home down the hill. It was there that Gonzalez, a former marine and cage fighter, discovered the Dublin man. Moments later, Hanlon descended from the tree but ran from Gonzalez. The officer said he heard the sound of glass breaking, assuming Hanlon had a broken glass on him, which could be used as a weapon. Gonzalez then drew his gun at this point and ordered him to show his hands. Hanlon did not have any sort of weapon in his possession. It was later assumed that Hanlon must have bumped off a recycling bin. According to an eyewitness, a resident in the area, Jeff DeSantis, Gonzalez kept shouting "Get down" and "Freeze." The grand jury heard that Hanlon screamed, swung his arms and legs and leapt aggressively towards Gonzalez. Gonzalez backed across the street, about 25 feet, but Hanlon followed, staying within five feet of the police officer. Gonzalez fired his gun as he moved away. Hanlon was shot five times and died instantly. "Upon seeing Andrew Hanlon, Tony Gonzalez did not draw his service weapon, rather he ordered him to come down and to show him his hands," said the district attorney's press release. Toxicology reports show Hanlon did not have alcohol or drugs in his system.Thirteen witnesses, nine civilians and four police officers each gave a detailed account of their version of the night in question. Gonzalez was not present to testify, but a videotape of his initial interview with detectives was shown to the grand jury. Hanlon's sister, his best friend and his roommate also testified."What should be of paramount importance to the public is that the process was allowed to work," said deputy district attorneys Matthew Kemmy and Douglas Hanson. "All of the primary witnesses were civilians, members of the public, and this case was decided not by one person, one agency or by public opinion but rather by a grand jury made up of members of the public who heard all of the evidence and rendered its decision," they said. Hanlon's family held a press conference on Friday morning in Portland, a day after the grand jury cleared Gonzalez of any wrongdoings. Hanlon's aunt, Mel Castello, told reporters through tears that she didn't understand why Gonzalez didn't use his taser gun. "The DA's statement said that the process was allowed to work. Allowed to work for whom?" she asked. "Not for civilians, not for the mentally ill, and certainly not for Andrew."Hanlon's sister Melanie said that although she acknowledged that her brother was disturbed and perhaps even agitated on that night, she questioned why a confrontation between law enforcement officials and a person with mental illness always ends up with the person with the mental illness dead. "In Andrew's name, I will commit myself to solving this problem," she told reporters. Her husband Nathan expressed his anger at why Gonzalez, a 240 pound man could not "disable and arrest" his brother in law. Whether the family will pursue a wrongful death lawsuit is still undecided. Hanlon, known to his friends and family as A.J. moved to the small town of Silverton, Oregon to his sister Melanie and her husband Nathan a little over a year ago. Soon after his arrival, the family discovered Hanlon had some psychological issues and tried to get him into a program but, according to Nathan, he refused to acknowledge he had any problems. Hanlon's mother Dorothea Carroll, who resides in the south of France, traveled to Silverton following the shooting to bring her son's body back to his native Ireland. Hanlon was buried in Saggart, Co. Dublin on Monday July 21.