Four months after a fatal shooting rocked the Parkrose Heights neighborhood, the man suspected of pulling the trigger is finally behind bars. On Wednesday, November 22, 2023, Northeast Portland became a crime scene after Nicole Davis was shot and killed. Detectives zeroed in on 30-year-old Richard David Simms, Jr., tying him to the perplexing murder that sent shockwaves through the community. With murder charges looming over his head, Simms became the subject of a citywide manhunt.
The Portland Police Bureau’s dedication to capturing Simms was unyielding, and their perseverance paid off. An arrest warrant was issued for Simms, charging him with Murder in the Second Degree, which eventually led U.S. Marshals to join the fray. Together, a meticulously crafted stratagem was set to ensure Simms would be apprehended without incident, marking the end of a tale that left a family in perpetual mourning and a neighborhood grappling for answers.
Yesterday, March 19, Portland Police Bureau's most elite units – the Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT), Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT), and Enhanced Community Safety Team (ECST) – descended to serve justice. According to a statement from the police, Simms was arrested without a hitch. The operation highlighted the resolve and tactical precision that has become a hallmark of Portland's finest.
The charges against Simms are severe. He was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center, facing a torrent of accusations: Murder in the Second Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and being a Felon in Possession of Firearm – the trio of allegations painting a grim picture of the man now stripped of his freedom. In the wake of this pivotal arrest, Davis's family received a somber notification, a small step toward the closure they've been yearning for since that fateful November day.
