If you couldn’t come by, take a look at the fun we all had as outer East Portland neighbors gathered for the tradition of celebrating the 4th of July on July 3rd …
See why the number of prostitutes working 82nd Avenue has skyrocketed. And, the tragic news is that even more of these “sex workers” aren’t even old enough to drive …
In outer East Portland, the prostitution trade isn’t plied in the dead of night. Working without fear, most prostitutes – like this woman, later arrested, and charged with soliciting prostitution – openly troll for customers in the light of day.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
A couple of weeks ago, we told you how – even though it’s vastly understaffed – the Portland Police Bureau Drug & Vice Division (DVD) goes after the fifty or so local sex-for-sale pushers, commonly known as pimps.
We learned from Sgt. Doug Justice, the man who currently heads DVD, how their three-person “division” targets pimps who are promoting prostitution using underage girls.
“Even though we see it on the rise, we don’t have the manpower to go after street-level prostitution,” Justice added. “We leave that to the precincts.
Although a little blurry because this photo was taken at a great distance and through glass, the john looks jolly to be making a deal for a street-side sex act, just off SE 82nd Avenue of Roses. He didn’t look happy for long.
Local action heats up
On any afternoon or evening these days, along 82nd Avenue of Roses, it seems like we’re seeing more and more “girls on the stroll” – prostitutes, slowly walking along, or hanging out at bus stops as bus after bus rolls by.
“It’s not your imagination,” says Portland Police Bureau East Precinct Officer Rich Steinbronn who, along with Officer Michael Gallagher and a team of cops, is working a prostitution mission. “Prostitution has been steadily increasing – and with nice weather, it’s really taken off. Typically they really don’t like working in the rain. But if they’re forced to, they’ll work in any kind of weather.”
It isn’t necessarily the way these prostitutes wear their hair, dress, or are made up that makes them stand out as being different from female pedestrians – as we learn from Gallagher, as we watch the action on 82nd Avenue, while hidden in an undercover police vehicle. “Normally, women who walk along a street don’t keep looking around trying to make eye contact with passing cars,” he says.
After the undercover officer gives the signal, she walks away and the “custody team” of uniformed officers rush the man about to be charged with soliciting prostitution.
Prostitution reduces ‘quality of life’
As we wait for officers and decoys to get into position, the officers candidly admit they’ll never put an end to street prostitution. “Street prostitution ‘imports crime’ – it brings individuals into a neighborhood for the purpose of committing an illegal act,” Gallagher says.
“Unlike a ‘john’ (customer) who sets up a ‘date’ (sex-for-money meeting) from a CraigsList ad in a motel room or apartment,” Steinbronn adds, “these johns will drive the prostitute around the corner and into the neighborhoods alongside 82nd Avenue. They’ll do it in a church parking lot, in front of a school, just along a side street. They leave behind used condoms.”
Beyond negative impacts on neighborhoods, the officers say they’ve seen an alarming rise in the number young girls – as young as 14 years of age – being pressured into prostitution.
Instead of having the illicit sexual thrills he’d expected, this alleged john is getting another kind of excitement – being arrested, booked, and taken to jail. If his wife or girl friend is on the car title, she will have to be present when the car is released from seizure, and that might be a little exciting too.
Taking johns to jail
With all of the team in place, we watch as this “female decoy mission” or “john mission” swings back into action.
We watch a female Portland Police Officer, dressed in very ordinary, casual clothing – not a flashy, attention-getting costume – slowly walk up and down 82nd Avenue. Unlike some street prostitutes we’ve observed, these female undercover officers don’t shout, wave, or point at passing cars.
Within minutes, though, we see the driver of a car on 82nd Avenue slow down and make eye contact with the undercover officer. The driver turns in a side street and slowly drives past the undercover vehicle, and then turns into a restaurant parking lot. He motions for the officer to walk over to him.
It doesn’t take long for the john to propose a sex act for a specific amount of money. The undercover officer makes an innocuous gesture that signals the “Custody Team” of uniformed officers to swoop in and make the arrest.
Although another john tried to speed away after being busted by an undercover cop, the custody team closed in on him before he could escape the long arm of the law.
As fast as they can book them
“It’s amazing how many guys go cruising 82nd Avenue looking for a prostitute,” Steinbronn says. “We would arrest many more johns during each mission, except for the time it takes for our custody team to process and transport each of these alleged prostitution customers to the Justice Center, and book them into jail.”
Eager prostitutes don’t heed cops
We noticed two females, dressed in inappropriately short skirts and low-cut blouses, wearing a great deal of makeup, and strolling along in shoes with heels so high that most women would consider wearing them “cruel and unusual punishment”. A man, dressed in prototypical zoot suit attire, walks with them.
The group seems oblivious to the police cars roaring by with emergency lights flashing as another john gets busted.
Officer Gallagher says he recognizes the trio from past prostitution missions. He radios to a marked patrol car and asks officers to move them down the avenue so they can continue working their mission.
In all, their team arrested seven johns in one day, and eleven the next.
Asked why half of their missions are focused on arresting johns, Steinbronn explains, “Without the demand created by the johns, there wouldn’t be the supply of prostitutes working the street.”
The prostitution mission custody team swoops in to take another alleged prostitute into custody.
Picking up prostitutes
After two days of working ‘female decoy’ missions, the team switches to a ‘male decoy’ operation.
Here’s how it works: A male Portland Police Officer, driving an ordinary looking car, cruises along 82nd Avenue of Roses, and slows down for women who make eye contact or motion to them. “If the gal gets into the car, they usually make the deal for a sex act in exchange for money while they drive back into the neighborhood,” Gallagher tells us.
“The girls working along here know that we’re doing missions,” Steinbronn says. “Still, they’ll open a stranger’s car door and hop in. Sometimes they will ask the officer to expose himself, or ask him to touch them, to prove he’s not a cop, before they’re willing to make or accept the proposition. We don’t do that; if they insist, we have no choice but to let them go.”
But from our observation, there is no shortage of street-level prostitutes willing to gamble about being busted along the avenue. 13 prostitutes are arrested one day, another 12 the next – again, as rapidly as the custody team can book and transport them to jail.
From far north along 82nd Avenue, down to the Clackamas County line where this alleged prostitute is arrested, cops find no shortage of sex for sale on the street.
Crime of little consequence
Their missions are focused on curbing prostitution along 82nd Avenue this time, Steinbronn comments. “We found very few prostitutes working NE Sandy Boulevard, in the Parkrose area. They’ve really congregated along the length of 82nd Avenue, from Sandy south to Clackamas County.”
We ask the officers why they think prostitution along 82nd Avenue of Roses is flourishing.
Choosing their words carefully, the officers say that since certain Portland City ordinances were allowed to end, the number of prostitutes working has increased, because there is little consequence if they’re arrested.
“Let me illustrate it like this,” Steinbronn explains. “We arrested a gal yesterday. She was taken into custody and to jail. And, we arrested the same gal again today, still wearing the exact same clothes she had on yesterday.”
When a custody team officer asked why she was back out on the street again, hopping – unknowingly – into another undercover police car, Steinbronn says the cop reported she said, “I need to turn two tricks [sex acts] today. I don’t worry about you guys. I’ll be out [of jail] in a couple of hours.”
Prostitution-free Zones said to be successful
While reinstating Prostitution-free Zones won’t “cure” street-level prostitution, everyone with whom we’ve spoken in law enforcement says they were a good “tool” to reduce the prevalence of street-sex sales activity.
We’re told that since cities in the Seattle region have stepped up anti-prostitution enforcement and instituted ordinances, their rates of prostitution have dropped – and prostitutes themselves report that they’ve traveled south to work the Portland street, because the demand is high and the penalties are low.
Perhaps when the makeup of Portland’s city government changes in the new year, city leaders will once again revisit the Prostitution-free Zone ordinance. If they want to hear it, Portland’s own police officers will tell them that the zones really do help reduce the sex – openly for sale – on outer East Portland streets.
© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
The stove burner didn’t work, they said – but find how much damage this kitchen fire caused, when kitchen grease ignited …
Firefighters pull equipment off their truck. Because it occurred during the day – when the residents were awake, and in the house – tragedy was averted when a stove burner, thought to be out-of-commission, set this home’s kitchen on fire.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The alarm sounded at 1:04 p.m. on June 15 – and Portland Fire & Rescue’s Station 25 crew answered the call, and headed for a house in the 7800 block of SE 68th Avenue; they arrived in four minutes.
Even though we arrived on scene just minutes after the emergency dispatch hit the airwaves, firefighters had already extinguished the blaze, and were removing burnt debris from the house.
“When we arrived, we found a kitchen fire,” said Lt. Phil Loving, who was riding with Engine 25. “It got a bit out of control and into the cabinets. We had it extinguished quickly, but there was a lot of smoke damage.”
Said stove burners didn’t work
Lt. Allen Oswalt, fire department spokesman, reported the exact cause of the brief blaze that did $45,000 worth of damage to the home.
“The homeowner said that only two of the four burners on the electric stove worked – and he stored pots, with grease in them, on the non-working burners,” Oswalt reported. “The fire started in a pan left on the left rear burner that supposedly didn’t work. The stove was unattended.”
Although damage was limited to the kitchen area, smoke made the Inner Southeast home uninhabitable, and the destruction was estimated at $45,000.
Basic fire safety rules ignored
Oswalt said that, fortunately, no one was injured, and the fire damage was limited.
“Two of the most important rules of preventing a house fire were ignored in this incident: Never leave anything unattended on the stove, and always make sure you have a working smoke detector,” warned Oswalt.
Cooking fires are the leading cause of home fires across the country, he added. “And, we’ve all heard of the tragedies that happen every year – people dying needlessly in house fires. In this instance, what if the fire had occurred while the occupant was sleeping? With no working smoke alarm, the outcome could have been deadly!”
It’s a wrap! Firefighters pick up their hoses after putting out the kitchen fire.
Cheap and easy protection
Smoke alarms are cheap and easy to test, the bureau spokesman went on. “If you don’t have one, there is a smoke detector hotline (503) 823-3752: If you qualify, PF&R will provide one and install it. How easy is that?”
He added that for renters, the landlord is required by law to provide a working smoke alarm at the time of lease signing. It is the renter’s task to test it and make sure it works, however.
“Fire safety is your responsibility,” Oswalt concluded. “Don’t let you or your loved ones become a statistic!”
© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
A couple of weeks ago, you heard about the suspected crook that cops chased away from the 82nd Ave. MAX station – now learn the REST of the story …
Police closed off this street along which the suspected MAX station drug dealer ran, after he dodged through the Elmer’s Restaurant parking lot. He gave the cops the slip not once, but twice!
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
While their efforts often don’t make headlines or the evening news, Portland Police Bureau (PPB) officers – from the precincts, and those specifically assigned to TriMet – wage a daily battle against crime along the steel-railed highway called MAX Light Rail.
It’s so easy for thugs and drug pushers to hop on and off the MAX trains. But many of the stations, like the MAX stop at NE 82nd Avenue of Roses, are difficult to police. It is set down, away from street, accessible only by stairs and an elevator.
About 6:30 p.m. on May 14, PPB Transit Division officers spotted a familiar-looking character, and kept an eye on him.
“Officers developed probable cause to arrest an individual,” police spokesman Sgt. Brian Schmautz told us that evening. “It looked to them like he was engaging in drug trafficking activity.”
When officers started closing in on him, the suspect dashed off, and a foot pursuit began. “They try to catch the guy as he ran into the through Elmer’s Restaurant parking lot; then into the [nearby neighborhood] blocks west of 82nd Ave.,” confirmed Schmautz.
Searching the blocks west of NE 82nd Avenue of Roses near NE Multnomah Street, the police came close to nabbing the suspected drug-dealing runner; but he slipped away.
Tries to hide in the neighborhood
A search by officers – and a K-9 unit – couldn’t locate the suspect in the area where they thought he might be hiding.
“Then, a citizen in one of the homes within the perimeter realized there was a stranger in his house, and confronted the suspect,” Schmautz told us as the situation was unfolding that evening. “It startled the suspect as much as the neighbor – and the suspect took off again, heading westbound.”
Police dogs were soon hot on the suspect’s trail; the chase led to a home on NE 78th Avenue.
With the potential for a hostage situation on their hands, the SERT unit is activated, and takes a position near the home where they think the suspect may be holed up.
SERT unit activated
“We had information from neighbors that there was someone home,” Schmautz said. “We didn’t want to take any chances, in case this turned into a potential hostage situation; the Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) was activated.”
After a couple of tense hours of waiting, police learned that the suspect had again fled; the SERT officers disbanded.
Police get their man
“Officers knew the man they were chasing as 35-year-old Detrick Griggs,” Schmautz said. “Our bureau’s Drug & Vice Division (DVD) officers helped track him down.”
Police say this man, Detrick Griggs, was the suspect who ran – but, from our cops, he couldn’t hide for long.
Two days later, on May 16, they located Griggs. “Again, he ran from officers and there was a little foot pursuit with him. A K-9 police dog persuaded him to give up,” added Schmautz. “He was taken into custody on the 4800 block of N. Williams Avenue.”
Griggs probably won’t be riding the rails soon; records show he was arrested for Trespass, Escape, Failure to Appear, Resisting Arrest – and he also had an outstanding warrant. In addition, he had failed to register as a sex offender.
© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
Vehicle drivers are responsible for avoiding pedestrians. But sometimes – like in this case – pedestrians can’t be avoided; the results are tragic …
SE Powell Blvd., just west of SE 136th Ave., was shut down for hours while investigators process the scene where a pedestrian was struck and fatally injured by a car.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
What happened at 8:21 p.m. on May 15 was clear: a Cadillac, traveling east on SE Powell Blvd. near SE 136th Ave., struck a pedestrian with such force, it threw the victim about 60 feet.
“I don’t know why he just ran out into the street,” said Megan Davis who claimed to have witnessed the accident. “I don’t think the driver had time to do anything. I think he (the victim) just came out of the Double Dribble [Tavern].”
The victim was thrown about 60 feet after being struck by an oncoming car. On the left hand side of the photo, you can make out the victim’s hat; his shoes ended up next to the stopped white Cadillac.
Officers at the scene told us that the victim was still alive when medical attention arrived, but confided, “He didn’t look good.”
To get official information about this incident, we turned to Portland Police Bureau spokesman Sgt. Brian Schmautz who said, “An intoxicated 49-year-old man ran into the path of the Cadillac. The pedestrian was transported to OHSU and died while receiving medical attention.”
No citations have been issued, Schmautz added.
An investigation by the Portland Police Bureau’s Fatal Accident Team concluded the victim ran into traffic, the driver that struck him was not ticketed or arrested.
© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
We don’t know why the FBI asked Portland’s cops to serve a search and arrest warrant on the Powellhurst-Gilbert man. For whatever reason, this wanted man would not be taken alive …
For the third time this week, the Portland Police Bureau’s Mobile Precinct was out on a mission – this time parked a block from Gilbert Heights Elementary School at 12839 SE Holgate Blvd. – as police investigate a FBI warrant service that ended in the death of the wanted man.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Perhaps we’ll never know why the Portland Police Bureau’s (PPB) Gang Unit was out serving a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) search and arrest warrant in Powellhurst-Gilbert, just a block away from Gilbert Heights Elementary School.
“Due to the nature of the investigation, a federal judge has sealed much of the information in this case,” said FBI spokesperson Beth Anne Steele.
What we do know, is that just before 6:00 a.m., the Gang Unit rolled up to a fenced yard at 12612 SE Holgate Blvd.
Police say they were trying to serve a FBI warrant on this man, 43-year-old Derek J. Coady, when the confrontation turned deadly.
“While clearing (searching) an outbuilding on the property, officers encountered the suspect, wanted in connection with the warrant, 43-year-old Derek J. Coady,” PPB spokesman Sgt. Brian Schmautz reported. “Coady was armed with a handgun.”
For hours, outer SE Holgate Blvd. was closed and Gilbert Heights Elementary School was in lockdown while the SERT team moved in and detectives processed the scene.
Wanted man refuses to surrender
Officers attempted to talk to Coady, Schmautz continued, and told him to put down his gun.
Instead of complying, Coady began playing hide-and-seek, ducking behind a vehicle parked on the property.
“This which would have provided him with a vantage point to possibly shoot at officers” said Schmautz. “An police officer discharged at least one round from his firearm. A short time later, officers heard a gunshot from the area where Coady was hiding.”
Not taking any chances, the bureau’s Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT) was activated. They cautiously moved up to the wanted man’s last known position, and discovered Coady, deceased, Schmautz went on.
Because a federal judge “sealed” information in this case – we may never know what prompted this arrest.
Wound self-inflicted
While some media outlets speculated that police officers shot Coady, the Multnomah County Medical Examiner concluded that Coady died of a single gunshot wound to the head.
“The death has been ruled a suicide,” confirmed Schmautz. “Coady was not hit by the officer’s bullet(s).
This investigation is continuing.
Detectives and SERT members looked weary due to the many call-outs this week.
© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
We don’t know why the alleged murderer shot a man in the head – with a witness present. But, we do know that then greeting the police with a gun in hand is a very bad idea …
Throughout the night – and most of the next day – NE Glisan Street was closed to traffic for blocks west of the I-205 freeway, as police tried to unravel both a murder and an officer-involved shooting.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
You wouldn’t notice the house at 9124 NE Glisan Street if you drove past it – other than that the weeds in front of it are knee-high, nearly obscuring a realtor’s “for sale” sign posted near the street.
But, this house became the scene of two deaths – and a fire – on May 13.
The bizarre incident started when a woman called 9-1-1 at 8:26 p.m., reporting she had just witnessed a murder.
Police approached the house cautiously. They spotted a 27-year-old man, later identified as Jason Spoor, walking outside, and then quickly running back indoors.
Police investigators brought all their gear in to process this crime scene.
Comes out, gun in hand
The officers called for backup when, several minutes later, they saw Spoor reappear in the doorway.
“When he opened the front door,” reported Portland Police Bureau spokesman Sgt. Brian Schmautz, “he walked outside holding a handgun.”
Based upon officers’ statements, and confirmation by independent witnesses, said Schmautz, the officers repeatedly told the man to drop the gun. At the same time that the officers were confronting the armed subject, other officers heard snapping and crackling sounds, and saw smoke starting to come from the house.
Inside and out, investigators and detectives gather evidence at the scene.
“The armed subject ignored the officers’ repeated commands to drop the gun, and began to approach additional officers at the scene. During the confrontation, two officers discharged their weapons, and the subject fell to the ground and died,” explained Schmautz.
Police say when they searched the house, they found this man, 29-year-old Dwayne Hampton, dead of a single gunshot wound.
After the shooting, a Portland Fire & Rescue crew rushed in and extinguished the fire inside the residence.
Officers then entered the residence and found a dead man there, whom the Multnomah County Medical Examiner identified as 29-year-old Dwayne Hampton. “The cause of death has been determined to be a single gunshot wound to the head,” Schmautz said. “Jason Spoor has been identified as the suspect in connection with this homicide.”
Two officers fired at Spoor, but only one struck and fatally wounded the man suspected of murdering the dead man found in the house.
Killed with one shot
The Medical Examiner conducted an autopsy the following day, and determined that Spoor was killed by a single gunshot to the head.
Although many media outlets have focused their attention on one officer involved in the shooting, Schmautz tells us two cops fired at Spoor.
“During the confrontation, two officers discharged their weapons,” Schmautz stated. “The officers are identified as 45-year-old Timothy Bacon, a 14-year veteran of the Police Bureau currently assigned to Southeast Precinct, and 32-year-old Officer Scott McCollister, a 7-year veteran, currently assigned to East Precinct.”
Motive still unclear
As this investigation continues, officials haven’t released information about why they suspect Spoor of killing Hampton, nor any information provided by the woman who claimed to have witnessed the murder.
© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
He drank, drove recklessly, wrecked his car, and got a trip to the hospital. You won’t believe what happened to the car he hit …
The fancy wheels and low-profile tires on this Mitsubishi won’t be going ’round and ’round – perhaps ever again – after its accused drunken driver flipped it, on NE 82nd Avenue of Roses.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The party ended on Sunday, May 11, at precisely 9:26 pm, for a man police identified as 35-year-old Rogers Miranda.
The youthful-looking driver of the Kia SUV which Miranda hit filled us in, from his own point of view: “We were sitting in the [northbound] left-turn lane on 82nd, waiting for the green light, to turn [west] on NE Fremont Street. This car came through the intersection of really fast, hit me, and rolled over.”
It appears as if Miranda’s 1998 Mitsubishi – seen here with its doors pried open, so he and his passenger could get out – won’t be speeding around outer East Portland anymore.
Pried out with rescue tools
“We pulled up we had one car on its top,” reported Portland Fire & Rescue’s Lt. Erik Oatfield, attached to Station 12. “There were two people inside, unable to get out of their seat belts. Both of them were hanging from their seat belts.”
The doors were jammed, Oatfield said, so the crews used a Hurst Tool [“Jaws of Life”] to pop one door open, and a Halligan [steel pry-bar] to open the other. Both occupants were transported by ambulance for medical evaluation, he added.
We were surprised at how little apparent damage the Kia suffered when it was hit. The inset shows the bent wheel.
Victims walk away
The Kia SUV seemed to sustain little damage in the collision – although the front driver-side tire was pushed in at a 45° angle, making the vehicle undrivable. All of its occupants walked away the wreck.
As for the driver of the car that hit the Kia, “Miranda was charged with DUII and Reckless Driving,” said Portland Police Bureau spokesman Sgt. Brian Schmautz, after looking at the official reports.
© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
Officials say this stabbing wasn’t drug related; but sources tell us violence may escalate, as drug dealers – not gang members – fight to protect their distribution areas …
Portland Police Bureau detectives erected this tent at the murder site, while they investigate the stabbing death that took place here – near the dividing line between Multnomah and Clackamas Counties.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Just before 10 p.m. on May 8, two men get into a scuffle on SE Flavel Street, a block east of SE 82nd Avenue of Roses.
Angry words are exchanged – and, in full view passengers riding in a passing TriMet bus, one man attacks the other with a knife. A teenage girl tries to intervene and gets slashed, while trying to stop the knife-wielding suspect from stabbing the wounded man to death.
One man walks away from that fight; the other crumples to the street, dying.
Police detained a bus-load of witnesses for interviews following the stabbing.
“When officers arrived, they saw 28-year-old Jason Manuel Adams collapsed on the ground,” says Portland Police Bureau (PPB) spokesman Sgt. Brian Schmautz. “Officers called for an ambulance, but Adams died at the scene. A 17-year-old female was transported to Portland Adventist Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.”
Detectives and criminalists from the PPB’s Identification Division set up a tent over the dead man’s body, and spend several hours processing the scene and interviewing witnesses.
Police say they suspect that this man, 18-year-old Sean Michael Lagrew, stabbed Adams to death – even though a friend tried to stop him.
Schmautz tells us officers and detectives contacted several individuals in the area, including 18-year-old Sean Michael Lagrew. “An autopsy conducted by the Multnomah County Medical Examiner confirmed that Adams died of a stab wound. Detectives arrested Lagrew on one count of Felony Murder, and booked him into the Justice Center Jail.”
Bravado beef or turf war?
While at the scene just before midnight, we speak with a confidential source who suggests that this fight was the result of “turf war” among drug dealers in the area.
Saying that SE Flavel Street has become the dividing line for street-drug dealing territories, the source tells us, “I expected violence to erupt in this area. And, now it’s happened.”
We ask the source if this is gang-related. “No, it’s drug dealers protecting their sales area.”
Later, we ask Sgt. Schmautz if detectives had determined the reason for the confrontation.
“I don’t see anything in the suspect’s history dealing with drug trafficking,” replies Schmautz – adding that he can’t comment on what may, or may not, have been on the suspect’s record as a juvenile. “From what I understand from detectives, the fight was the result more from misplaced bravado than anything else.”
This investigation is continuing.
© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
The victim’s car was damaged so badly; rescuers had to use the “jaws of life” to free her. The young man accused of causing the wreck says he’s not guilty. Read this story, and see what you think …
The first responders on scene couldn’t get the victim out – but the crew from PF&R Truck 2 popped the door quickly – just before we arrived on scene – using the “Hurst Tools” their rig always carries. The two tools are on the ground, on the right side of this photo.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Just after high noon on Wednesday, May 7, a car hurtles south on NE 82nd Avenue of Roses, down the hill from Madison High School. It nears the intersection at NE Tillamook Street, and doesn’t show signs of slowing.
Another car, driving on eastbound of NE Tillamook Street, along the Banfield complex, enters the intersection. It is broadsided, in what cops call a “T-bone” crash, and momentum carries it to the southeast corner of the intersection, up the curb, and into a tree and street lamp post.
Before firefighters remove the victim from the vehicle, they make sure she is stabilized.
Rapid emergency response
On the police radio, we hear Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) Truck 12 being dispatched to the wreck. “It looks pretty bad,” a dispatcher’s voice crackles on the radio.
As we head toward the scene, we hear, “This is going to be a pin-in situation.” This means a vehicle is so badly damaged, the PF&R crew can’t reach the accident victim using the hardened-steel pry-bars all of the rigs carry. “It looks like the victim is doing OK, but we can’t get her out,” a firefighter reports on the radio.
“Truck 2 has been dispatched and is on the way,” radios back the 9-1-1 Center operator. This is good news for the victim – Truck 2 is one of the rigs that carries the “Hurst Tool” – also known as the “Jaws of Life”. It’s a hydraulic machine that can snip through the metal frame of a vehicle. With another attachment, it can spread metal pieces – like the car door and door frame – apart quickly, with thousand of pounds of pressure.
After using one of two Hurst Tool attachments, a firefighter carries it back to the truck.
Victim released in minutes
By the time we arrive on scene, we hear the Hurst Tool power pack running – and the distinctive “pop” of a door being pried off the vehicle. In the hands of skilled PF&R firefighters, the Hurst Tool has done its job.
Firefighters first prepare the victim for transport to a hospital; then carefully ease the victim from her vehicle, place her on a gurney, and lift her into an ambulance bound for the hospital – and a medical evaluation.
A Portland Police Bureau East Precinct officer points out how the “side curtain airbags” had popped open – perhaps saving the victim’s life.
Police officers say this car was originally heading the opposite way on NE 82nd Ave. of Roses – it spun around after t-boning other car in the intersection
Driver claims innocence
A 19-year-old man – he says he’s the driver of the car that struck the cross-bound vehicle – tells us his story. “I was just driving down 82nd Avenue and I went to a green light. As I was going through [the intersection at NE Tillamook Street], this car pulled out and I hit the car on the side. It pulled out in front of me.”
After taking statements from witnesses to the wreck, a police officer disagrees with the young man’s assessment of the situation.
“I took witness statements that say the young man, driving the green car, ran a red light,” says as she continues writing her official report. “When he ran the red light, he side struck the silver car as it traveled eastward, through the intersection on Tillamook Street, on a green light.”
Both police officers and firefighters agreed that this driver wouldn’t be going to the hospital had the driver of the other car stopped for the red light.
Take time to stop
A PF&R lieutenant from Station 2 talks with us – off the record – and says, “I’m glad the victim’s car had the new side-wall airbags. It may have saved her life. I’m glad there wasn’t any trauma injury here today – but I sure can’t understand why people are in too great a hurry to stop for red lights.”
Because this wreck isn’t categorized as a “trauma crash” – the PPB’s Crash Team isn’t called to scene – according to current city policy, there won’t be an official investigation.
© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
This guy traveled to the edge of Gresham hoping for some “afternoon delight”. He got some real “action” – but not the kind he was looking for …
After arranging for a sex session on the internet, a 39-year-old man got a lot more “action” than he bargained for – and got robbed by thugs in these apartments.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
He was envisioning a sexy encounter, as this fellow drove to the apartment building at 17223 Southeast Powell Blvd. just past noon on April 29.
The 39-year-old guy was probably hoping for some real excitement; after all, he’d arranged a sex-for-money rendezvous via the Internet.
Police aren’t saying who this Romeo is – but he turned from lover-boy into victim within moments after entering the apartment. Portland Police Bureau spokesperson, Officer Cathe Kent filled us in on what happened next.
“The victim arrived at Alicia Roach residence on SE Powell Blvd when two men, armed with a handgun and a baseball bat, confronted him,” reported Kent. “After threatening the victim, the suspects took victim’s money. During the encounter, one shot was discharged inside the apartment.”
Although shaken by be robbed at gun (and bat) point, the victim wasn’t injured; he fled and called police.
When gunshots are fired – and suspects are holed up – SERT members don’t take any chances. They bring out all of their protective gear.
Officers make sure no one gets in or out of these apartments while the investigation continues. The building – you can see just the edge of it – is directly behind the front apartment building.
SERT shuts down streets
Because a gun was fired, the bureau’s Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) arrived and the area around the apartment buildings was taped off – shutting down a 2-block area including the intersection of SE Powell Blvd. and SE 174th Ave.
It took hours to evacuate the area residents and contact witnesses. Eventually, investigators learned that the suspects were hiding in a neighboring apartment.
As the sun set on the edge of outer East Portland, SERT officers isolated the apartment and ordered the suspects out of the apartment. All three surrendered without incident.
- 25-year-old Antawan Simpkins was charged with two counts of Robbery in the First Degree and one count of Ex-con in Possession of a Firearm.
- 16-year-old Anthony Dondre Roach was charged with two counts of Robbery in the First Degree and one count of Menacing.
- 23-year-old Alicia Marie Roach was charged with one count of Robbery in the First Degree.
Fortunately, no additional shots were fired, and the situation ended without incident.
© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
Learn why this East Portland Veteran’s group throws this honorary dinner – and how the recipients may go on to earn national fame for their service …
The hall was filled to capacity as American Legion Post #1 honored Portland Fire & Rescue and the Portland Police Bureau’s men of the year.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The American Legion Post #1 meeting hall on SE 122nd Avenue was packed elbow-to-elbow, as their annual Friendship Dinner honoring Portland’s top police officer and top firefighter got underway on April 19.
“We present the ‘Russ Lemmon Awards’ each year,” Post Commander Thomas Fulton told us, after the three-course buffet dinner and before the awards ceremony.
American Legion Post #1 Commander Thomas Fulton conducts the presentation of the Russ Lemmon Awards.
“The purpose is to recognize outstanding individuals from our fire and police bureaus who make our community better and safer,” Fulton explained. “One [honoree] will risk their life to save yours, by pulling you from a burning house. The other might give you a deserved traffic ticket – or step in the line of fire and take a bullet, to keep you from being shot.”
The firefighter and the officer are chosen by coworkers at their respective bureaus, Fulton explained. Those honored by Post #1 will compete for state-wide honors from the Oregon American Legion; and, if successful, will go on to be considered for national recognition.
Portland Fire & Rescue Firefighter Anthony Tony Snook from Station #1 accepts his award from American Legion Portland Post #1 Commander Thomas Fulton as PF&R Captain Robert Zavodsky looks on.
Firefighter of the Year
“It’s an honor to be among great Americans,” said Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) Captain Robert Zavodsky, as he began telling why Firefighter Anthony “Tony” Snook from PF&R Station #1 was selected.
“Tony does not look toward rank or money – things that normally motivate people. Tony is one of those true firefighters who, day in and day out, is motivated by the passion he has for his work. He comes to work with a tremendous attitude; the younger ones look to him as a shining light,” Zavodsky noted.
Snook has become known as an apparatus specialist, able to fix nearly anything, including the six-burner range in the station house. He designed and specified the equipment used in PF&R’s “Urban Search and Rescue” rig.
“Before search video cameras were available, Tony and his lieutenant built a prototype search camera system. It was a great – there was nothing like it at the time,” Zavodsky quipped, “except it took a man just to carry the battery.”
Snook is known as a Disneyland aficionado, Zavodsky added. A firefighter, with a son ill with cancer, asked for help planning an upcoming trip. “Not only did Tony lay out ‘the ideal’ itinerary, he encouraged everyone in the stationhouse to help pay for the trip.”
On the third-floor wall of Station #1, his Captain told the veterans, there is a wall bearing photographs of each of the firefighters who won this award over the years. “I get a special feeling when I walk down that hall and think about these dedicated firefighters. All of us will tell you that Tony is the sort of person that you would like to work with,” concluded Zavodsky as he handed the award to Snook.
Past Post Commander Tom Murphy escorts honoree Officer Robert Brown around the meeting hall and to the stage.
Police Officer of the Year
Portland Police Bureau East Precinct Commander Michael Crebs was next to step to the podium, to tell why Officer Robert Brown was chosen for this year’s honor.
“Cops are often in chaotic situations,” began Crebs. “Not only is he physically imposing, Officer Brown’s performance is tactically sound. Whenever he goes into a tense situation, he brings calm and a state of equilibrium. He helps people feel that everything will soon be alright.”
Crebs held up a thick folder, and told what he found, when he reviewed Brown’s personnel file.
“There are too many commendations and letters to read,” the Commander said. “I pulled out a couple of items, to give you a snapshot of this officer; each of them tells a different story about Robert.”
Reading a note that one of his peers wrote, early in his career, Crebs quoted, “Officer Brown does well in establishing rapport with citizens. He’s personable and respectful. He shows initiative when activity is slow, and doesn’t focus on one aspect such as traffic stops.” The commander added, “This shows that Robert was a well-rounded officer from day one.”
Crebs then related the story of a grocery store robber who held a knife to the neck of a clerk and demanded money. “The suspect fled as Robert arrived on-scene. He tracked the suspect down, following him through neighborhood back yards. Robert saw feet sticking out from under a bush, took the suspect into custody, and recovered the money. This is exemplifies his work; he loves to catch the ‘bad guys’.”
Portland Police Bureau East Precinct Commander Michael Crebs congratulates Officer Robert Brown after his award was presented by the Post’s commander, Thomas Fulton, at American Legion Portland Post #1.
The final example Crebs pointed out was this citation: “He has the ability to quickly establish a perimeter, work with undercover officers, and work with members of the canine unit. [Brown’s] outstanding work significantly contributed to the capture of suspects, and to the safety of the community.”
Over the past two years, Brown’s efforts working with canine units resulted in the arrest of 15 suspects for felony activities in different incidents, the commander noted.
Quoting the great football coach, Vince Lombardi, Crebs looked Brown in the eyes and concluded by saying, “The quality of a person’s life is in direct proportion to his commitment to personal excellence regardless of his chosen field of endeavor. Robert, you chose the Portland Police Bureau’s East Precinct night shift, where you’ve achieved excellence.”
After the program concluded, PF&R Chief David Sprando commented, “Considering the way that these individuals have served their country, it’s like the top honor for us.”
Commander Crebs agreed, adding, “This Post’s hospitality and generosity is awesome. It makes me feel good inside to know that we have this kind of support in our community.”
© 2008 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
