After learning that the alleged hit-and-run driver had turned himself in, read what message mourners at a candlelight vigil said they’re trying to send …

As darkness falls, candles light the faces of those mourning the sudden loss of their friend, in a hit-and-run accident on SE Foster Road.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Residents along SE Foster Road say they’re dismayed that yet another pedestrian has been slain crossing the street.

The latest accident, described by police as a hit-and-run, took the life of 26-year-old Jason Lee Grant – who was hit by a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck on January 28, just a little before 7:00 p.m., while crossing Foster Road near SE 70^th Avenue.

Friends and co-workers describe the slain man, Jason Lee Grant, as a creative, caring individual.

At a candlelight vigil held at that corner on February 2, many of those present hadn’t yet heard that 53-year-old Jim Dean Patterson had turned himself in to police at the Eastport Plaza substation at 12:30 p.m., earlier the same day. But learning about it clearly didn’t alter the sorrow they felt for losing their friend – for many, a fellow musician and co-worker, who had been abruptly taken from them.

“He spent so much time in our studio, making music,” reflected Luke Alexander, while being comforted by his friends. “As far as Jason goes, he was a good friend of mine; we shared the same ideas. He was somebody who always took the time to think about somebody else; he was so selfless.”

Friend of the victim, and a fellow musician, Luke Alexander is consoled by his friends at the vigil held for the deceased, Jason Grant.

Alexander paused, and tried to regain his composure. “Somebody took his life and chose to run away from [the accident]. There’s no crosswalk here; there’s no lights. It should not have happened.”

Christian Smith, Chair of the Foster-Powell Neighborhood Association, responded, “We’ve been fighting for traffic safety improvements on SE Foster Road for years now – close to a decade. For 10 years we’ve had an unrealized streetscape improvement plan to address a lot of the safety issues. But, this is the fourth pedestrian death in about a two-year period. Something’s got to happen.”

Referring to the thoroughfare as the “Foster Freeway”, Smith reflected that the character of the street is “wholly incompatible, in its current configuration”, with the plans by the City and METRO to turn it into a “Main Street” – with more family-oriented businesses, cafés, and retail. “It’s still used as a freeway out to Happy Valley.”

Christian Smith, Chair of the Foster-Powell Neighborhood Association, says pedestrian safety has historically been overlooked in favor of the keeping traffic moving quickly and abundantly along the “Foster Freeway”.

Neighbor Rachel Cunningham stands with ROSE CDC’s Nick Sauvie. “Foster Road has been a major thoroughfare for a hundred years. But, times are changing; now there’s more pedestrians,” Cunningham says.

Saying SE Foster Road needs more crosswalks, better lighting, and more awareness, Rachel Cunningham commented, “I’ve lived two blocks from [this intersection] for about seven years. I love it here. But, we have a daughter who – obviously – won’t be allowed to be on Foster Road [by herself] until some major safety improvements have been made.”

Stan Hall and his son Henry both held candles, and stood in solidarity with others at the vigil. “I’m taking this opportunity to both pay respect to the victim – and to help my son understand how difficult it is to be safe when crossing the road here.”

As a resident of six years, Hall said he was concerned, because his son would be starting school next year – perhaps at Marysville. “At some time, when he gets older, Henry will have to cross the street by himself. I’m really hoping that this turnout will help get the City’s attention about what’s going on along this corridor.”

Henry Hall listens as his dad, Stan Hall, explains why it’s very important to be careful around major streets, like Foster Road.

At the fringes of the vigil, Grant Chisholm of “Grandma’s Funky Furniture”, 6852 SE Foster Road, buttonholed PDOT Traffic Safety Investigator Greg Raisman, and asked, “Why isn’t the City pouring more money into making Foster Road safer for this neighborhood?”

Raisman replied, “We’ve identified Foster Road as a ‘high crash corridor’. We’re really looking for every way we can to make this road as safe as we can.  We recently just secured a Regional Flexible Funds grant which will result in several million dollars of work between SE 50^th and 84^th Avenues. We’ve done some work in the last few years to increase the number of [marked] pedestrian crossings, and to do other things to make it safer out here. Clearly we have more work to do.”

Raisman added that had had come to express his condolences and to support the victim’s friends. After from hearing from many people that Foster Road’s speed should be reduced to 25 mph., he commented to us, “Foster Road is a ‘collector street’. It serves really important functions in moving traffic to our city. But, it’s really important to balance [moving vehicular traffic] with making it safer for people who live in this neighborhood.”

A trio of the victim’s musician friends sing a musical tribute.

As darkness fell, a trio of musicians gathered by a fence where a makeshift memorial had been erected and began to sing a song with the refrain:

“You and me on a cloud and no one else,
            Playing the cards that we’re dealt.”

According to Portland Police Bureau Public Information Officer Sgt. Peter Simpson, at the same time that the suspect in this case, 53-year-old Jim Dean Patterson, was, on sober reflection, on his way to the police substation to surrender – other officers were coincidentally already en route to his home, based on a Crime Stopper tip.

Officials now accuse 53-year-old Jim Dean Patterson of the hit-and-run death of Jason Lee Grant.

“Thanks go to the media coverage – and to the public – for all the tips that were called in to the Crime Stoppers lines,” Simpson said. “Ultimately, Patterson saw the coverage on TV, which factored into his turning himself in.”

Patterson was arrested by Traffic Division investigators and he was lodged at Multnomah County Detention Center on two counts of Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver, Simpson added. “Patterson may face additional charges, after a Multnomah County Grand Jury hears the case.

“A green 2000 Toyota Tacoma pickup has been recovered from Patterson’s garage. The truck had damage consistent with this collision.”

According to MCDC records, Patterson is being held on $500,000 bail.

Perhaps a coincidence, but Police Traffic Division officers pulled over one vehicle after another for speeding and other infractions – during the vigil.

© 2012 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

See why neighbors say this man didn’t go quietly, when the police came to the door asking about his whereabouts – and what was necessary to get him to surrender …

“Loud-hailing” the suspect that SERT officers thought was in this well-kept looking Lents Neighborhood house didn’t work, neighbors say.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
There was little news coverage after a warrant service in the Lents Neighborhood – a couple of blocks from the shuttered Marshall High School – on January 27. But, the event proved to have quite an impact on neighbors who watched events unfold that morning.

“When I came outside, I saw a lot of people out in the street,” recounted 50-year resident John Welch. “There were many police officers.”

This is one of the many windows broken when SERT officers lobbed tear gas into the residence.

Starting about 11:30 a.m., members of the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT) gathered around a house in the 4000 block of SE 91st Avenue, Welch said. “For the better part of an hour, they called out, telling the man to come out.”

A man and woman exited the residence – but not the man for whom police were looking. “They kept trying to coax him out – but, nothing.”

Officers with the Gang Enforcement Team test their gas masks before heading into the now-empty house to search for evidence.

After warning the suspect they were about to gas the house, Welch said SERT officers fired ten or twelve tear gas canisters into the house. “They shot them from all sides of the house.”

Even the tear gas barrage didn’t work – at first.

Witnesses say, after the house was tear-gassed, the wanted man stuck his head and body out of the upper window, and appeared to be gasping for air.

“After about 15 minutes, the guy stuck his head out the upper bedroom window, coughing,” Welch reported.

PPB Public Information Officer Sgt. Peter Simpson later said that SERT officers were executing a search warrant as part of an ongoing investigation into a gang-related shooting that occurred in the Fall of 2011.

“The Gang Enforcement Team is the lead investigation unit on this case. The suspect is in custody, and nobody suffered any injuries during the warrant service.”

Police say the took this man, 25-year-old Demarko Herbert Streeter, into custody – only after they gassed the house in which they found him.

Days later, Simpson named 25-year-old Demarko Herbert Streeter as the individual apprehended. MCDC records show that Streeter remains in custody at the Multnomah County Inverness Jail on a charge of Parole Violation.

© 2012 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

The market is still closed down – and the armed robbers are still on the loose. See what’s been learned about this crime …

This neighborhood market on outer SE Powell Boulevard was the target of three armed thugs, police say.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
As a worker at the small N & T Market on SE Powell Boulevard at SE 154^th Avenue were getting ready to close for the night on January 24, they were surprised by three thugs who rushed in the door of the Centennial neighborhood market.

These ruffians weren’t after a carton of milk or some smokes – they made it clear they were there to rob the store.

From districts far and wide, police officers rush to the area to join the manhunt for three robbers – at least one of them armed.

“The call came in at 9:14 p.m.,” confirmed Portland Police Bureau Public Information Officer Sgt. Peter Simpson. “East Precinct officers who responded said the three suspects demanded money.”

Apparently, the clerk wasn’t fast enough; Simpson said one of the suspects hit the clerk in the head with a handgun. “Then, all three suspects fled the area on foot. A witness reported to police that one of the suspects pointed a firearm at the witness as the suspects fled the area.”

East on SE Francis, and west on SE Gladstone, police search streets and yards.

Officers only find a quiet neighborhood – and no sign of the criminals – as they search yard-to-yard on this residential street.

One patrol car after another arrived, until at least eight officers – and a K-9 team – had fanned out into the neighborhood. But the three white male suspects dressed in dark clothing seemed to melt into the subdivision located at the northern foot of Powell Butte.

“However, a handgun was recovered,” revealed Simpson. “The victim [of the pistol-whipping at the market] was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.”

• If you saw something, or know anything about this crime, e-mail information to: CrimeTips@PortlandOregon.gov.

The market remains closed since the hold-up.

© 2012 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Witnesses say this elderly driver was driving “out of control” when she plowed into the convenience store. See why they say it most likely wasn’t the pouring rain at the time that caused this smashup …

This car accelerated through the store window, witnesses say.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
On January 24^th, a drenching rainstorm darkened the afternoon sky, making it look like twilight — even though it was just a little past 2:00 p.m., when police responded to a single car accident at SE 82^nd Avenue and SE Flavel Street.

“I was waiting for a bus,” related witness Reg Whittaker. “This car made a turn and the driver stepped on the gas. The engine roared – as much as it could, for a small car – and it ran right into the market. No brake lights or anything.”

A wrecker crew member directs the winch operator, as the car is pulled away from the store.

The result was obvious. A blue, late model Kia Sephia sedan had jumped the curb and smashed the plate glass windows on the south side of the Bi-Lo Mini Mart.

It appeared as if only the heavy metal security bars had prevented the vehicle from shooting deep into the store.

This crash gave folks, inside and out at the convenience store, a real surprise.

“An old-looking woman got out of the car,” Whittaker said. “She was saying she was sure she was on the brake, not the gas pedal.”

According to Portland Police Bureau Public Information Officer Sgt. Peter Simpson, she was wrong about that.

But, no citations were issued. “It was an accident,” he added.

Untangling the car from the store turned out to be more complicated than originally thought.

© 2012 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

See why onlookers say they’re astonished no one was seriously hurt in this amazing series of accidents …

This utility pole was knocked off kilter, near the start of the unusual chain of accidents.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The multiple-vehicle accident on January 17^th started in the Mt. Scott-Arleta neighborhood – and ended up in the Foster-Powell neighborhood.

It wasn’t caused the cloud-darkened sky, or by the heavy rain. It might have been that the driver experienced a medical emergency. Nobody is yet sure.

This is one of five cars that were hit – stuck so hard it was spun around 90º from where it had been parked. On the left side is a tree that was also struck – and tire tracks in the grass.

An ambulance was called to the crash scene, but it was later dismissed, after treating those requesting it at the scene.

At a little after 4:30 p.m., 9-1-1 started receiving calls from numerous victims of someone described as a hit-and-run driver in a silver-gray car. When Portland Police Bureau (PPB) East Precinct officers arrived, and began their investigation, they found that these reports weren’t exaggerated.

Starting in the area of SE 72^nd Avenue and SE Foster Road, and heading north, the 2001 gray Dodge Stratus sedan had caromed off five vehicles, two utility poles, a tree, and several street curbs.

This is the car that caused it all, picked up enough speed to end up atop this retaining wall.

“The driver also hit a male juvenile pedestrian, who was not injured,” PPB Public Information Officer Lt. King told East Portland News. “The car ended up in the front yard of a house, stuck on a retaining wall, on the northeast corner of SE 72^nd Avenue and SE Holgate Boulevard.”

The driver, identified as 84-year-old Patricia Knepper, may have had a medical issue, causing her to lose control of her vehicle, King said. “Officers assisted the woman in exchanging information with all involved.”

And, there were a lot of folks to exchange with. But, happily, there were no serious injuries, despite considerable spectacle and a lot of damage.

Officers assisted the woman behind the wheel of the “hit and run juggernaut” in exchanging information with everyone involved.

© 2012 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

See how their ‘perfect caper’ near 82nd ended up with one of the crooks on the ground, looking up at a police dog …

It was here, at Essex Park where this short-lived carjacking/robbery crime spree began.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Within minutes of each other, Portland Police Bureau (PPB) East Precinct officers were dispatched to two different calls in the Powell-Foster neighborhood on January 14.

At 8:55 p.m., some officers were headed to Essex Park, on SE Center Street near SE 76^th Avenue to investigate a carjacking.

“Officers learned that 19-year-old woman was in the park with three friends, when she was approached by two men,” reported PPB Public Information Officer Lt. Robert King. “One of the men pointed a gun at her and demanded her car keys. She complied, and gave the suspects the keys to her 2011 Ford Fusion.”

Police say this establishment was robbed only minutes after the suspects carjacked their getaway car.

Moments later, other officers rolled to Nick’s Double Up Tavern at SE 80th Avenue and SE Powell Boulevard – just blocks away – in response to reports of a robber.

“Officers responding to the area to the carjacking and robbery saw the car that had been just stolen and pursued it,” King continued.

The car sped east on SE Powell Boulevard, under the freeway, and turned south on SE 97^th Avenue in the Lents neighborhood. What the getaway driver didn’t know was that streets there dead end into the freeway. At SE 97th and SE Francis, the suspects braked, bailed out of the car, and ran from officers.

“The driver, Thomas Edward Riffenburg, was pursued by officers on foot, caught and arrested,” said King. “Officers set up a perimeter and called for a police canine – after which they soon located and arrested the second suspect, Joe Thomas Krieg.”

Officers recovered a firearm and other evidence at the scene, which were turned over to Portland Police Robbery Detectives and the Forensic Evidence Division crews, added King. “No one was hurt in either crime.”

Officials accuse this man, 31-year-old Joe Thomas Krieg, of participating in the carjacking and robbery.

Ultimately 31-year-old Joe Thomas Krieg was charged with Possession of Heroin, Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, Attempt to Elude, and four counts of Robbery in the Second Degree.

Krieg was lodged at the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC) on $1,070,555 bail – where he remains at this writing.

Krieg’s accused partner-in-crime is this man, 26-year-old Thomas Edward Riffenburg, police say.

26-year-old Thomas Edward Riffenburg was also checked into MCDC, and is charged with four counts of Robbery in the Second Degree, and a Parole Violation.  MCDC records show Riffenburg is currently in custody in lieu of $1,000,000 bail.

© 2012 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Read what the police – and mayor – had to say about this tragic killing …

-1 At the crime scene, investigators searched for clues, when the body of  13-year-old Julio Cesar Marquez was found by schoolchildren on the morning of November 7. East Portland News archive photo

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
This story began on the morning of November 7, when schoolchildren made a gruesome discovery. 13-year-old Julio Cesar Marquez’s life had been brutally ended in the Gateway area, at NE 107th Avenue and NE Halsey Street.

• See our story covering the initial investigation: CLICK HERE.
• See our story about the candlelight vigil that followed: CLICK HERE.

On January 19, a Multnomah County Grand Jury indicted three youths for the murder of Marquez. Police followed that with a press conference.

For the first time, it was revealed that Portland Police Bureau (PPB) homicide detectives had recovered a rifle that investigators believe was used in the killing. While they said they’d suspected as much at the time, homicide detectives reveal that they believe that Julio’s murder was gang-related.

Tips from the community, and Crime Stoppers, helped solve the case. “Tips were given to detectives,” PPB Public Information Lt. Robert King said. “Homicide detectives worked closely with the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, the Forensic Evidence Division, the Oregon State Police Crime Lab, the Gang Enforcement Team, and the Washington State Department of Corrections, to develop information in this case.”

Indicted on charges of Aggravated Murder and Murder are: 18-year-old Samuel Vasquez, 16-year-old Ezequiel Vasquez, and 15-year-old Josefina Jasmin Ramirez, King told reporters. “Samuel and Ezequiel Vasquez are brothers.”

Officials are withholding the photo of 18-year-old Samuel Vasquez. This could be because the investigation is ongoing.

Police Chief Michael Reese says he hopes this case will increase awareness of gang issues in Portland. East Portland News archive photo

“This killing of a 13-year-old boy, whose body was found by schoolchildren, was shocking and tragic,” remarked PPB Chief Michael Reese.  “We hope the arrest of these suspects brings some closure to the family, as well as highlights gang issues in our community.”

Mayor Sam Adams commended the members of the Police Bureau divisions involved in the case, and those in the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, for their work on the case. “This case is especially concerning, given the ages of the suspects. As a community, we must redouble our efforts to keep youth out of gangs, and to support them in positive and healthy activities.”

© 2012 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

See what students discovered about elemental sodium – in an accident that sent 12 people to the hospital …

AMR medics gurney one of a dozen students – after being decontaminated and outfitted in a Tyvek suit – to a waiting ambulance near the chemistry laboratory at David Douglas High School.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
In the new science wing at David Douglas High School (DDHS), on the morning of Friday the 13^th, students learned a hard lesson by accident – when a small explosion rocked the chemistry lab.

Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) crews raced to the school when they received a report of the incident.

PF&R firefighters and investigator wait for the chemical fumes to clear, before reentering the building …

… then they suit up to return to the science wing of the high school.

“At 10:14 a.m., firefighters from PF&R Station 7 in Mill Park discovered that the explosion had been caused by some type of sodium metal in the sink,” PF&R Public Information Officer Tommy Schroeder told East Portland News.

Metallic sodium, we learned, is potentially explosive – and generates flammable hydrogen and caustic sodium hydroxide upon contact with water. Somebody had put the sodium in the teacher’s sink: “When a student tried to use the drinking fountain, also in that sink, it reacted and the result was a small explosion,” Schroeder explained.

The PF&R HazMat truck and crew stands by, waiting to find out how much decontamination might be needed in the chemistry lab and in the surrounding hallways.

At the scene, David Douglas School District spokesman Dan McCue said that their staff had evacuated the classroom – as well as eleven other classrooms in the science wing – as a precaution.

“The school did an excellent job of isolating those classrooms,” Schroeder commented. “The affected students went to the school’s performing arts center, where they were triaged for the severity of their respiratory injuries.  Those who are most affected were taken to the nurses’ station to be completely decontaminated, and then were put in ambulances for local hospitals.”

Both the classroom where the explosion occurred, and the clothing worn by the students who were transported to hospitals, tested positive for high concentrations of ph, Schroeder reported. “Firefighters used the school’s showers to decontaminate affected students, and outfit them with Tyvek suits prior to transport.”

The back door to the chemistry lab remains open, while the building continues to be ventilated.

Students from the surrounding classrooms were temporarily relocated, McCue said, and the high school continued to operate.

For several hours, PF&R HazMat crews took readings, and firefighters pressure-ventilated the wing using their portable fan systems.

“The school called all of the parents of the students from that particular classroom,” Schroeder continued. “And there’s an important message for the students that did not end up being transported:  If they experience any respiratory issues later today or tomorrow, don’t hesitate to call 9-1-1, or make your way quickly to the nearest hospital.”

As we talked with McCue, we couldn’t recall a similar occurrence at the high school. “But, it is a chemistry lab; they do experiments,” McCue pointed out. “Sodium metal is not supposed to mix with water, in this case it accidentally happened.”

Another ambulance arrives at David Douglas High to transporte victims of the chemistry lab incident.

Learning about the praise firefighters gave the school’s staff, McCue responded, “Our staff responded very quickly. They perhaps evacuated more students in other classrooms than needed to be evacuated. But, we always err on the side of caution. Keeping our kids safe is our number one priority.”

PF&R’s chief spokesman, Paul Corah, later arrived on-scene and said that a total of 12 instructors and students had been transported to area hospitals for medical evaluation. “It looks like 25 students and one teacher were exposed,” Corah said.

Most were complaining of upper respiratory distress, Corah added. “All those transported have non-life threatening injuries.”

In his truck, PF&R Public Information Officer Paul Corah confers with Fire Bureau spokesman Tommy Schroeder, and David Douglas Schools spokesman Dan McCue.

© 2012 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

With all the attention focused on a recent ‘MAX beat-down’ incident – here’s the story about a similar incident of outrageous public transit violence. See how little time it took cops to solve this one …

A TriMet bus pulls up to a stop on SE 122^nd Avenue, about to take on another load of passengers.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
A shocking YouTube video showing four youths beating up a girl December 26, on MAX Light Rail north on the Green Line near the Foster Road station in the Lents Neighborhood, went viral on January 6. The widespread viewing helped Portland Police Bureau (PPB) officers in the Transit Police and Youth Services Division to identify the suspects.

As has been widely reported, four youths have been arrested and charged – along with an adult, who was cited on two counts of Hindering Prosecution.

But, another outrageous case of mass-transit violence took place about 3:00 p.m. on January 12 –in the nearby Powellhurst-Gilbert Neighborhood – and has received less attention.

Most TriMet bus rides are uneventful, agency officials say.

“Officers learned that the two suspects boarded the bus at SE 122nd Avenue and Market Street, and attempted to use invalid transfers,” revealed PPB Public Information Officer Peter Simpson. “The bus driver drove to the next stop and told the girls they needed to leave the bus, at which point the girls became verbally abusive to the driver.”

While that confrontation took place, the bus was parked at the curb. “A male passenger, 23-year-old Michael Cooke, asked the females to leave the bus so it could get moving,” Simpson continued. “Then, 19-year-old Markishia Duckett punched him in the face.”

Simpson continued, “A female passenger, 23-year-old Natasha Van Warmer, with a small child, asked the women to stop acting out in front of her child, and the women then attacked her. 36-year-old Tina Duckett held the victim by the hair while her daughter Markishia punched her.”

Officers arrived took the mother and daughter into custody.

“Markishia Duckett was charged with Assault in the Third Degree, Assault in the Fourth Degree, and Interfering with Public Transportation,” Simpson said.
“Tina Duckett was charged with Assault in the Third Degree, Assault in the Fourth Degree, Interfering with Public Transportation, and Theft of Services in the Third Degree,” the Bureau spokesman added.

Police accuse both members of this smirking pugilistic pair – 36-year-old Tina Renee Duckett, and her daughter 19-year-old Markishia Welikea Duckett – with Class C Felony and Class A Misdemeanor charges. MCDC photos

Both were booked into the Multnomah County Jail with bail amounts totaling more than $7,500 each. However, MDCC records show both were released from custody that same day; Tina Duckett was “Released on Own Recognizance” – and both of the accused bail amounts indicate “Disposed: $0”.

“How crazy is that?” rhetorically asked Marcelle Greene as he waited for the bus to pull up at the stop on SE 122^nd Avenue and SE Division Street. “Why do they let violent people like that – I heard they punched-out a mother with a little kid – why do let them free to hurt other people?”

Sorry. We don’t have the answer.

© 2012 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

Also, see how the police tracked down another outer East Portland suspected bank robber who hit a Gateway area bank on New Year’s Eve day. It’s two bank robbery stories in one …

Customers and shopkeepers at Eastport Plaza are cleared, as bomb squad team members investigate a backpack said to hold explosives used to rob a bank.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The man didn’t have a car, but on January 10, about 9:20 a.m., he wandered up to the drive-in teller window at the U.S. Bank branch at Eastport Plaza on SE 82nd Avenue to make an unauthorized withdrawal – on foot: The 5-ft-8, 180 lb man demanded money from the teller.

This US Bank branch, and the surrounding area, is closed off…as police investigate the unusual bank robbery attempt.

“The suspect claimed to have a bomb in a backpack,” explained Portland Police Bureau Public Information Officer Sgt. Peter Simpson. “After obtaining an undisclosed amount of money, the suspect left the backpack next to the drive-up window, and fled the area on foot.”

Within minutes, traffic on SE 82^nd Avenue of Roses was shut down from SE Holgate Boulevard to SE Boise Street, and the south end of the shopping center was evacuated, as members of the Metropolitan Explosives Disposal Unit (MEDU) rolled up to investigate the backpack.

Members with the Metropolitan Explosives Disposal Unit create a strategy for investigating the backpack said to contain a bomb.

Meanwhile, officers were keeping a sharp lookout for the suspect – described as a thin white male in his 50s.

The backpack never got into the MEDU’s spherical containment unit; using their remote-control investigative unit, they determined that the backpack contained a hoax device, and rendered it safe, Simpson later reported.

An officer in one of Portland’s new police cruisers speeds to the north end of Eastport Plaza.

Two hours after the robbery, police take into custody the man they suspect of the crime.

Not long after the muffled bang of the MEDU’s “disruptor” charge, disabling the backpack left behind by the would-be robber, a half-dozen patrol cars raced to the north edge of Eastport Plaza on SE Francis Street.

“It looks like we’ve captured the suspect,” reported a sergeant, as officers drove the suspect back to the bank for positive identification.

50-year-old Tom L. Cloud remains in custody, pending charges of bank robbery, records show. MCDC photo

“Portland Police Bureau Robbery detectives have booked 50-year-old Tom Cloud into the Multnomah County Jail,” Simpson announced, “Cloud is on a Federal ‘hold,’ with Bank Robbery charges pending.”

New Year’s Eve Gateway bank robbery suspect nabbed

This Key Bank branch – in the Gateway Shopping Center, near the MAX Light Rail Station – was again robbed. This time, it happened on New Year’s Eve.

Also in the same week, police identified a suspect in the December 31 robbery of the Gateway area Key Bank branch in the Gateway Shopping Center on NE 102^nd Avenue.

“During the investigation, officers from East Precinct spoke with Loss-Prevention staff at the Gateway Fred Meyer store, and reviewed surveillance video,” Simpson told East Portland News.

A Fred Meyer loss-prevention crew member at recognized the robbery suspect from prior encounters at Fred Meyer, Simpson added. “This information led directly to the identification of the robbery suspect, and subsequent charges.”

Police charge this man, 48-year-old Ronald Lee Johnson, with bank robbery, in connection with the New Year’s Eve Key Bank heist.

48-year-old Ronald Lee Johnson didn’t have to be captured, Simpson added; he was already in custody at the Multnomah County Jail at the time the charges were issued.

“This case highlights the positive working relationship the Portland Police Bureau maintains with the various Loss-Prevention officers and staff throughout the City of Portland,” commented PPB Robbery Detective Brett Hawkinson.

It appears Johnson was already in jail, MCDC records show, on drug-related charges. And he now remains in custody on a US Marshall hold.

2012 David F.Ashton ~ East Portland News

It wasn’t folks in the house shooting at police – find out why terrified residents say they’re glad to be alive – though their house was trashed …

-1 Police say they suspect the driver who wrecked this car sped away from them because he was driving a stolen car. KOIN Local 6 image.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
This story, which took pace in the southern edge of the Centennial Community Association on January 9, had as many twists and turns as Johnson Creek – where the story finally ended, with tear gas fired after a four-hour standoff.

It all started when a Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Traffic Division officer was looking for speeders near SE136th Avenue and SE Foster Road about 2:15 p.m.

“The officer saw a 1992 Honda Accord – later determined to be a stolen car – traveling at a high rate of speed, eastbound on Foster Road,” reported PPB Public Information Officer Sgt. Pete Simpson. “The officer pulled onto the roadway with the intent of stopping the vehicle for speeding, but the it traveled quickly out of sight, eastbound on Foster Road.”

Minutes later, the officer came upon the Honda, now heavily damaged, stopped on the north side of Foster Road near SE 158th Avenue. “The driver got out of the car and ran northbound and out of sight, into a rural neighborhood,” Simpson said.

SE 158th Avenue remains closed, as police investigate the violent incident.

The area into which the speed demon headed is very rural – in fact, the rain-swollen Johnson Creek parallels the north side of SE Foster Road at that point. A bridge on SE 158th Avenue connects to SE Martins – a street with no outlet on either end.

Additional officers, aided by a K-9 unit, were called in to search the area. But then a phone call from a house on SE Martins Street revealed where the suspect had found shelter.

At about 2:33 p.m., a resident in the house which had five occupants called 9-1-1 saying that a man they didn’t know had barged into their house and wouldn’t leave. “The man was ‘muddy and bloody’ we learned,” Simpson added.

Although neighbors told police they through they heard gunshots from inside the house, those reports [in both senses of the word] couldn’t be confirmed.

The Portland Police Bureau’s Mobile Command Center remains on- scene long into the evening hours.

But later, at 3:11 p.m., officers on the perimeter themselves reported hearing gunshots from the house. Command staff told officers in the area to take cover below the rim of Johnson Creek. “At least one bullet was fired past the officers’ position,” related Simpson. “But no one was hit.”

Tension mounted when a man ran from the house with a gun in hand. Officers quickly took him down — but soon learned he was one of the victims, and details about what was transpiring in the home. Another man – with a youngster – exited the house. Police learned the father and child – who both required on-site medical care – were two more of the victims in the house.

The Portland Police Bureau’s Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT) and Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) were both called to the scene, while officers continued to watch the house from all sides.

Three more folks made a break for it; officers learned from them that the suspect was now alone in the house, and that at least one firearm was present.

“After approximately two hours of attempting to get the suspect to answer the phone or leave the house, SERT deployed chemical munitions into the residence at approximately 7:15 p.m.,” commented Simpson.

Police say this man, 28-year-old Darwin Leroy Stauffer, was finally taken into custody after being tear-gassed.

Within five minutes of the house filling with tear gas, the suspect opened the front door and crawled out of the house. “28-year-old Darwin Leroy Stauffer was taken into custody, and was transported to an area hospital with minor injuries.”

According to MCDC records, Stauffer racked up a number of serious charges – including three counts of Kidnap in the First Degree, two counts of Robbery in the First Degree, all Class-A Felonies, plus other charges – with combined bail amounts of more than $1,300,000. He remains in custody.

Meanwhile, the five housemates, most of them said to be students, are staying with family and friends, while the home undergoes repairs and deep cleaning – estimated to cost up to $15,000.

Want to help out? CLICK HERE to open a website set up to take donations to help clean up their house.

© 2012 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News

See why the combination of a dark, rainy night – and walking across a busy street – proved to produce dire results …

Portland Police Bureau patrol cars shut down SE Division Street at SE 112^th Avenue after a pedestrian is struck a block to the west.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Traffic came to a standstill on SE Division Street a little after 7:00 p.m. on January 5 a red car hit a pedestrian as he walked across Division in the right lane of the eastbound lanes of Division just west of 111th Avenue.

The impact collapsed the passenger side windshield of the vehicle and partially caved in the roof.

Officers and investigators search for evidence near the car said to have struck the victim.

“The guy looked really hurt,” said Van Dollenberg, who said he came upon the scene just after the accident occurred. “The driver was really shook up. She was shaking and really looked upset.”

It didn’t take lone for the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Forensic Evidence Division and Traffic Division to arrive on scene to conduct an investigation; East Precinct officers shut down the street from SE 110^th to SE 112^th Avenue for several hours during the investigation.

All evidence is important, crash investigators say, to help create a complete report of how, and why, an incident occurs.

The accident victim, later identified as 50-year-old Daniel Roberts of Portland, was first reported to be in critical condition when rushed to a hospital. “He is in stable condition at an area hospital,” reported PPB Public Information Officer Lt. Robert King the following day.

“The car’s driver, 27-year-old Kayce Ernst of Portland remained at the scene and cooperated with investigators,” King said. “Impairment was not a factor in the crash. The investigation is continuing.”

On into the evening, officers continue to investigate this accident.

© 2012 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News