A Multnomah County jury found a Portland man not guilty in the fatal shooting of two people who attempted to rob the cannabis store where he worked.

The jurors agreed with attorneys for 35-year-old Jason Steiner, who argued the La Mota employee was legally justified in opening fire because the robbers had threatened his life and could have pursued him.

Prosecutors had argued that Steiner, who walked out of the store and then returned to a walk-up window where he fired more than a dozen rounds, had many choices available to him, including leaving the area altogether.

Steiner, wearing a black collared shirt and khaki pants, wiped tears off his face when Multnomah County Circuit Judge Celia Howes read the verdict.

“The jury made the right decision,” said Thalia Sady, the lead attorney

See Full Page