A 41-year-old Keizer woman has been convicted of attempting to assault two Keizer police officers but a jury acquitted her on the most serious charges of attempted murder.
A Marion County jury on Tuesday, April 29, found Brandi Cortes guilty of two counts of second-degree attempted assault, two counts of fleeing a police officer and one count each of assault of a public safety officer and attempted assault of a public safety officer.
The jury ruled after the two-day trial that she was not guilty of aggravated attempted murder or attempted murder.
Cortes remains in the Marion County Jail and sentencing was scheduled in Marion County Circuit Court for Thursday, May 8.
According to court records, Keizer police on July 28, 2024, twice tried to stop Cortes as she drove a friend’s car through Keizer. She led police to Keizer Rapids Park, where Officers Jeremie Fletcher and Cody Stupfel attempted to take her into custody.
Fletcher later reported he felt a poke under his arm, suffering a superficial injury, and Stupfel said he felt tapping on his mid-section. Both officers were wearing ballistic vests. Cortes was tased and police recovered a knife.
Cortes later told police she was intending to “commit suicide by cop,” according to a court filing.
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