Lane Co. SO release – On 10/12/2023 shortly after 2:15pm, the Lane County Sheriff’s Office received the report of a menacing incident that occurred in the area of Salmon Creek Rd. outside of Oakridge. The victim reported that a male suspect accused him of stealing and was actively hunting him with a firearm. LCSO deputies responded as well as Oregon State Police Troopers and Oakridge Police Officers. Upon arrival, the victim reported that he found a backpack and car keys on the ground near a vehicle that he believed to be abandoned. The victim took the property and put it in his van, claiming that he was planning on reporting the found property to police. As the victim was laying down in his van, a male later identified as 37-year-old Nicholas Ronald Hansen, used a gun to fire a round into the victim’s van. Hansen then opened the door of the van, pointed the gun at the victim and demanded the backpack and keys. The victim said Hansen tried to strike him with the firearm and told him that he would kill him if he ever saw him again. Investigators made contact with Hansen and took him into custody for charges including Menacing, Reckless Endangering, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon. He was lodged at the Lane County Jail without incident.
