A late-night burst of gunfire near Rocky Butte turned into a high-speed police chase on Wednesday, ending with three arrests, three seized semiautomatic handguns, and one man in the hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries. Detectives with the Portland Police Bureau's Enhanced Community Safety Team are now leading the case.
How the Late-Night Chase Started
According to the Portland Police Bureau, East Precinct officers were dispatched at about 11:12 p.m. on February 26 after reports of gunfire near 3250 Northeast Rocky Butte Road. Officers soon spotted a vehicle leaving the area and tried to pull it over.
Instead of stopping, the driver took off, and the pursuit was on. Officers deployed spike strips, shredding the vehicle's tires, but police say the car kept rolling anyway. The chase finally ended at Northeast 148th Avenue and Northeast Halsey Street, where officers used a PIT maneuver to spin the vehicle out and bring it to a halt.
Patrol officers, K9 units, the Traffic Division and Transit Police all assisted in the stop before officers surrounded the car and detained the people inside.
Who Was Arrested and What They Face
FOX 12 reported that 18-year-old D'Angelo D. Smartlowit of Gresham was evaluated at a hospital and later booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center. He is facing several serious charges, including Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, Assault in the First Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon and Unlawful Possession of a Firearm.
Two Gresham juveniles, a 17-year-old who police say was driving and a 16-year-old passenger, were booked into the Donald E. Long Juvenile Detention Center and face similar attempted murder and weapons charges. According to FOX 12, the 17-year-old driver is also charged with attempting to elude police and reckless driving, and the 16-year-old had an outstanding warrant.
All three were taken into custody after officers boxed in the vehicle, according to the Portland Police Bureau.
The Victim and the Firearms Seized
Police did not find any wounded victims at the Rocky Butte scene. A short time later, however, a man with a gunshot wound arrived at a local hospital in a private vehicle and was later linked to the shooting, the Portland Police Bureau said.
Detectives with the Enhanced Community Safety Team seized three semiautomatic handguns as evidence. The bureau has not publicly identified the hospitalized victim but said his injuries are serious and not believed to be life-threatening. Police also thanked the Vancouver Police Department for assisting with the investigation, and noted that Vancouver officers helped on scene as well.
How Residents Can Help Investigators
Detectives are still working to piece together what led up to the shooting and chase. Anyone with information is asked to contact police and reference case number 26-56440.
FOX 12 noted that the bureau is asking tipsters to email any relevant video or leads to [email protected], attention ECST.
What Comes Next in the Case
Prosecutors in Multnomah County will now review the evidence before deciding on formal charges. The 18-year-old remains in custody at the Multnomah County Detention Center, while the two juveniles are being held at the Donald E. Long Juvenile Detention Center.
The Enhanced Community Safety Team continues to investigate and is urging anyone with information to come forward. Authorities stressed that pursuits and reckless driving put the public at risk and thanked the many officers and agencies involved for bringing the chaos to an end without further injuries.
