A man from Union County was charged with second-degree murder on Nov. 17 after deputies responded to reports of gunshots and a disturbance at a home in Union, resulting in the death of another local man.
The incident highlights the response protocols and investigative efforts of the Union County Sheriff’s Office, which serves as the primary law enforcement agency for the area. The office provides patrol operations, corrections, and search and rescue services while working with other organizations to support public safety initiatives such as youth education and animal control, according to the official website.
Authorities said dispatch received a call about a disturbance at around 1:30 a.m., but were told by the caller not to respond immediately since law enforcement might escalate tensions. When deputies arrived, they found Tynan Frank and his father Richard Frank outside their home but did not witness any crime or escalation during their thirty-minute observation. Later that morning at about 3:15 a.m., additional calls reported gunshots near the residence. Deputies returned quickly after more reports came in and discovered Tynan Frank dead from a gunshot wound outside.
The Major Crimes Team—which includes members from the Union County Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s office, Oregon State Police, and La Grande Police Department—was activated to investigate. Detectives interviewed Richard Frank at sheriff’s headquarters before charging him with second-degree murder following multiple interviews.
The Union County Sheriff’s Office operates out of its administrative headquarters in La Grande and manages correctional facilities including one with capacity for up to 37 inmates according to its official website. The office employs sixteen deputy positions and also features an all-volunteer search-and-rescue team that responds to wilderness emergencies while promoting outdoor safety education according to its official website.
As outlined on its official website, the sheriff’s office aims to provide professional law enforcement services characterized by honesty, excellence, respect, integrity, firmness, fairness, compassion and valor for residents throughout Union County.
