An Oregon highway shootout left one man dead in late August, reports the Inquisitr on Oct. 4. The incredible dash cam video, released by Oregon police Thursday, shows Oregon State Trooper Matthew Zistel pulling over 34-year-old John Van Allen on Interstate 84. The routine traffic stop immediately turned deadly, as Van Allen opened fire on Zistel.
Van Allen, a military veteran, is seen exiting his vehicle in fatigues with one hand behind his back. The stance taken by Van Allen is confrontational, prompting Zistel to repeatedly order him back into his car.
The traffic stop then turns into a point-blank shootout. “5326 shots fired! 5326 shots fired!” screams trooper Zistel to dispatch.
Zistel returns fire, hitting Van Allen, who appears uninjured and gets back in his car, driving off. The suspect drove only a half mile down the freeway, where he was found dead of a single gunshot wound to the chest. Zistel was also shot on his right side, but the wound was not considered serious.
In what makes this a particularly disturbing story, the movement in the back seat of the car, as seen in the video, are of Van Allen’s three young children, ages 10, 13 and 15. The children were not harmed and were taken into the care of the Department of Human Services.
One of Allen's former friends was left in disbelief over the incident.
“It's just completely out of character… it doesn't add up,” the unidentified friend said.
A relative said that Allen was taking his children back to his native South Carolina. No motive has been released as to why Van Allen opened fire on the trooper.
