PORTLAND, Ore. (KPTV) – Portland police say a suspect was shot and injured in a north Portland neighborhood after a curfew was imposed in a standoff Saturday night.
Shortly before 5:30 p.m., police responded to reports of a man walking on the street with a gun in the 7600 block of North Portsmouth Avenue.
When officers arrived, police said the man was acting erratically and yelling at them. They said he ran toward them, then ran away and ducked behind cars in the parking lot of an apartment building.
“He would hide behind cars, sometimes go into an apartment, come out, hide behind cars again, suddenly appear, yell at police officers, yell at people in the neighborhood, again armed with a gun,” said Mike Benner, PPB spokesman.
According to police, there is a connection between the man and the apartment he broke into, either through family or friends.
“Over the next hour, the man continued to exhibit erratic behavior while armed with the pistol and at times even a hammer,” PPB said in a later statement.
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The neighborhood was advised to remain safe while tactical police units and a negotiation team arrived in the area.
Shortly after 6 p.m., an officer shot the man with a 40 mm “less lethal” weapon.
Then a police officer shot him with a gun. Although the man was hit, he continued to scream and move around injured, according to police.
Shortly before 6:30 p.m., officers dispatched a police dog to bring the man to the ground and then arrest him. The man was taken to the hospital for treatment of his injuries.
Police Chief Bob Day said: “Tonight is another reminder of the challenges we face as a community: There are risks out there, and sometimes there are incidents that require greater use of force by police.”
Mel Mussler works as a bartender nearby and said she called 911 after seeing the suspect walking through the back of the bar.
“He came through with a mask and a gun drawn next to everyone else,” Mussler said. “I’m just glad everyone is safe and we can go home to our families tonight. I’m going to cry – we’re just happy.”
The curfew was lifted for the neighborhood around 6:30 p.m., but the surrounding streets remained closed to cars and pedestrians for some time afterward.
The officer who shot the suspect is on leave pending an investigation into the use of force. No officers were injured.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Detective Tony Harris at [email protected] 503-823-0441 or Detective Jeff Sharp at [email protected] 503-823-9773 and reference case number 24-214901.
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