FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Attorneys On Retainer Member Protects Preschool and Shoots Attacker. Prosecutors Agree the Action Is “Justified and Not Criminal.”
NOTE: Mr. Salisbury’s body worn camera is displaying the incorrect date of 5/7/2025. The incident occurred on 5/8/2025.
Portland, OR - June 17, 2025 - Eric Salisbury, a licensed security professional and member of Attorneys On Retainer, was the victim of a physical attack outside The Gan, a Jewish preschool in Portland. Eric was forced to shoot his attacker with his legally carried firearm. After a lengthy investigation and review, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office has declined to file charges against Mr. Salisbury.
On May 8, 2025, Mr. Salisbury, 53, was on duty monitoring the school parking lot. Mr. Salisbury was legally carrying his licensed duty firearm and was equipped with a body-worn camera. Shortly before noon, Mr. Salisbury observed a vehicle driving at an unsafe speed through the preschool parking lot and he attempted to intervene, calling out for the driver to slow down. The vehicle briefly exited the preschool parking lot onto a surface street but soon circled back into the preschool parking lot, once again driving at an unsafe speed. Mr. Salisbury tried to stop the vehicle, and the driver then drove directly towards Mr. Salisbury, forcing him to jump out of the way and narrowly avoiding being struck by the vehicle. The vehicle once again exited the lot but then immediately turned into an adjacent driveway coming to a stop within feet of the playground for the preschool. Mr. Salisbury followed the vehicle on foot and began reading the vehicle’s license plate number out loud for his body-worn camera to record so he could report the vehicle and license plate to the police.
The driver, later identified as 32-year-old Manuel Garza, exited the vehicle and immediately charged Mr. Salisbury. Mr. Garza physically assaulted Mr. Salisbury, eventually throwing Mr. Salisbury to the ground where he got on top of Mr. Salisbury and began choking him while shouting threats. During the attack, Mr. Garza was swearing at Mr. Salisbury and calling him names. Mr. Garza repeatedly told Mr. Salisbury to shoot him, and yelled, “You’re powerless!” Mr. Salisbury was unable to fend off the attack, as Mr. Garza was much younger and more muscular. As he was being choked on the ground, Mr. Salisbury began to lose consciousness. Fearing for his life, and the lives of the children in the preschool, Mr. Salisbury drew his firearm and fired one shot into Mr. Garza’s midsection in an act of self-defense. That shot ended the attack, saving Mr. Salisbury’s life. Mr. Salisbury immediately sought medical attention for Mr. Garza at a medical clinic and called 911 to request police and an ambulance. Authorities and medical personnel arrived shortly thereafter and rendered aid. Two weeks later, Mr. Garza died from his injuries on Friday, May 23, 2025.
Following the incident, Mr. Salisbury called the Attorneys On Retainer hotline and was immediately connected with an attorney from The Attorneys For Freedom Law Firm. Our team of criminal defense attorneys and paralegals immediately commenced representation of Mr. Salisbury, spoke with the lead detective and assigned prosecutor, and retained an expert investigator and all other professionals necessary to protect Mr. Salisbury’s rights. Following lengthy investigation and review, and after multiple contacts with Attorneys For Freedom, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office determined that Mr. Salisbury acted in valid self-defense and declined prosecution.
View Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office Memo Declining Prosecution
About The Attorneys On Retainer Program
The Attorneys On Retainer Program provides unrivalled support and peace of mind for responsible gun owners throughout the United States. If a member is required to act in self-defense, Attorneys On Retainer completely covers criminal defense services, and provides financial assistance, bail bond coverage, civil liability coverage and many more exclusive benefits. To learn more, visit our website at https://attorneysonretainer.us/.
Attorneys On Retainer is backed by The Attorneys For Freedom Law Firm - the only law firm in the nation exclusively committed to representing clients in self-defense cases.
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