DA declines charges in Hawthorne Street shooting, rules death justified self-defense

MEDFORD, Ore. — The Jackson County District Attorney’s Office has declined to file criminal charges in the November 2025 shooting death of a man on Hawthorne Street, ruling the killing was an act of justified self-defense during a violent home invasion.

District Attorney Patrick Green said his office will not prosecute David Rogers, 36, in the death of Martin Uriel Jimenez Jr., 32, who was shot in the early morning hours of Nov. 2, 2025.

Medford police were called to an apartment complex around 3:30 a.m. after reports of gunshots. While officers were en route, resident Thomas Owens, 72, reported that a man had broken into his apartment and tried to kill him.

Officers found Jimenez dead in the doorway of Owens’ apartment. Police said the door had been forced open and Owens had visible injuries, including facial bleeding and bruising. He was treated at the scene by Mercy Flights.

Rogers, a neighbor, told police he intervened after seeing Jimenez break into Owens’ apartment and hearing Owens call for help.

Investigators said Rogers saw Jimenez attacking Owens and fired three shots after Jimenez advanced toward him and reached for his gun.

The district attorney said evidence shows Rogers was not the initial aggressor and reasonably believed Jimenez was about to use deadly force, making the shooting legally justified under Oregon law.

Investigators determined Jimenez was intoxicated at the time and had been drinking heavily at a nearby residence before leaving on foot.

Police said it remains unclear why he entered Owens’ apartment.