The officer at the center of a downtown Portland shooting incident on January 14th has been identified as Joshua Howery, a seasoned member of the Portland Police Bureau with 23 years on the force, currently assigned to the East Precinct and serving on the Special Emergency Reaction Team. According to an official statement, Howery has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation into the shootout which left 31-year-old Matthew L Holland deceased.
The Multnomah County Medical Examiner's office has revealed that Holland, a Portland local, succumbed to a gunshot wound—his family, having been apprised of this tragic happenstance, are maintaining a silence born out of a need for solace and privacy during this period of grieving. The Portland Police Bureau is actively seeking information from witnesses or individuals with relevant insights into the incident and has provided contact details for Detective William Winters and Detective Jason Koenig, in a push to aid the fact-finding mission and piece together the events that culminated in Holland's death.
An intricate tapestry of investigatory efforts involves the Homicide Unit of the Portland Police Bureau, working in concert with the East County Major Crimes Team and the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office, who were present at the scene post-incident. As part of routine procedure, all facts unearthed will be meticulously compiled and submitted to the District Attorney's Office for a determination on whether the evidence marshaled deems the case worthy of grand jury consideration.
Adherence to protocol stipulates that the Portland Police Bureau will initiate an internal audit of the shooting, encompassing each phase of the operation right from the initial dispatch to the deployment of tactics and the eventual post-event procedures. Per established practice, their directive on deadly force and incidents leading to death is publicly accessible via the Bureau's website. The Police Review Board, a hybrid assemblage of community figures, bureau members, and emissaries from the Independent Police Review Division, will deliberate the case in due course to conclude the departmental assessment.
