A quiet Friday night in Montavilla turned tense after a man allegedly fired a gun multiple times inside a neighborhood home, sending neighbors scrambling and police racing in with help from their eyes in the sky. Despite the chaos, no one was physically hurt, according to officers.
Police say officers were dispatched around 8:50 p.m. on Friday, May 22, to the 8800 block of Southeast Ankeny Street after a report of shots fired inside a residence, according to a press release from the Portland Police Bureau. The bureau said its Air Support Unit was already in the air and that a Tactical Flight Officer spotted a man jump into the bed of a moving pickup and try to smash out the cab window before jumping out near East Burnside Street and Northeast 87th Avenue, where officers moved in and detained him. Police say the driver of the pickup was later determined to be the victim and that no one suffered physical injuries.
Charges and booking
Police identified the suspect as 48-year-old Ramon Martinez-Diaz. He was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges that include Attempted Assault in the Second Degree - Domestic Violence, Domestic Violence Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Domestic Violence Menacing, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The booking and custody process is handled through the county corrections system, which runs the jail where arrestees are processed and held. For details about the facility and how bookings are handled, see the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office Corrections Division.
Air support and the investigation
Portland Police credited the Air Support Unit with providing the kind of overhead play-by-play that lets ground units move in fast. The bureau's ASU directive describes Tactical Flight Officers as observers who relay what they see to officers on the ground and support pursuits, searches, and planned apprehensions, roles spelled out in the unit's operational policy. The Portland Police Special Victims Unit also responded to assist with the follow-up investigation, according to the bureau.
Why firearms in domestic calls matter
Domestic-violence incidents involving guns carry heightened risks for both victims and first responders. A public-health factsheet from Johns Hopkins University notes that a substantial share of domestic-violence-related homicides in Oregon involve firearms. State law also treats possession of a gun by a convicted felon as a separate felony under Oregon Public Law, which can come with prison time and fines.
Police are asking anyone with information who has not yet spoken with detectives to contact investigators; the bureau's release lists a tip line and public-information contacts. Neighbors in Montavilla said the late-night disturbance rattled them but added that they were relieved the incident ended without physical injuries.
