Portland, Oregon, became the site of an officer-involved shooting yesterday when police attempted to arrest a man suspected of violent felonies. The Portland Police Bureau reported that the incident occurred in the Woodlawn neighborhood, where Major Crimes Unit Detectives and members of the Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT) confronted the suspect on the 7000 block of Northeast 17th Avenue. An exchange of gunfire resulted in the suspect being shot and subsequently hospitalized, now under police custody, according to the Portland Police Bureau.
The circumstance escalated at approximately 6:21 PM when officers sought the adult male, whose identity had not been disclosed. The three officers who discharged their firearms are now on paid administrative leave, a common procedure in such cases. Despite the confrontation, no officers were injured, but a SERT paramedic administered trauma first aid before emergency medical services took over and transported the suspect to the hospital. The firearm used by the suspect is being seized as evidence, a photo of which was included in the police report.
PPB Chief Bob Day was present at the scene and has since been in communication with Mayor Wheeler's staff and the City Attorney’s office regarding the ongoing investigation. "As always I want to affirm the sanctity of life, and I recognize that any time police officers use deadly force in the course of their work, it understandably causes concern in our community," Chief Day commented, as per the Portland Police Bureau, emphasizing the need for a thorough investigation.
