EXCLUSIVE: Discover how a major smashup just off the I-205 Freeway at SE Washington Street, and a manhunt in outer East Portland, is related to a shooting incident near Clackamas Town Center …
In the Hazelwood neighborhood, law enforcement activity has many Gateway District streets blocked off, as they assist those with the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office in some way which has not yet been revealed.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
On Saturday evening, March 21, about 7:30 p.m., numerous law enforcement vehicles were blocking off the northbound I-205 offramp to SE Washington Street – all of them with emergency lights flashing.
Oddly, no police activity – of any kind of incident – was indicated on the Portland Bureau of Emergency Communications’ Media Tool in the area.
This Transit Police vehicle, parked on SE Stark Street, blocks off northbound 97th Avenue.
Additionally, about two dozen Portland Police Bureau (PPB) patrol vehicles, along with Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) cars, and Transit Police rigs were creating a large perimeter:
- West along the I-205 northbound Glisan Street offramp (two police vehicles wrong-way, facing oncoming traffic):
- To the north, along NE Glisan Street;
- On the east, 102nd Avenue, from Glisan to Stark street; and,
- Along the south, SE Washington Street.
Incident focus: A major crash
By traveling (legally) west through the Home Depot parking lot, continuing across SE 96th Avenue and into the northwesterly corner of the 205 Place retail area, a badly-wrecked car came into view on SE Washington Street, on the viaduct over the freeway.
A focus of the police action is atop the I-205 Freeway at the end of the SE Washington Street offramp where this badly-damaged vehicle had stopped.
Photographing the wreck, it became clear that PPB wasn’t there to investigate the crash. However, there were many law enforcement officers at the scene, wearing ballistic vests with ‘SHERIFF” emblazoned them.
No information was released by any law enforcement agency about the nature of this large callout. Although PPB officers were finally dispatched hours later, at 9:59 p.m., to “Assist Citizen or Agency” at SE 97th Avenue at Ash street – four blocks northeast of the pile-up – they clearly weren’t there to manage this incident.
Sheriff’s deputies surround this wrecked vehicle – but they turned out not to be from the Multnomah County’s Sheriff’s Office.
The incident becomes clearer
Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Deputy John Plock helped unravel what’d taken place. “The incident was related to a vehicle that eluded from Clackamas County into Portland, and ended up crashing.
“Any PPB, MCSO, or Transit Police units there were assisting the Clackamas County [Sheriff’s Office],” he told East Portland News.
At the scene of the smashup are members of the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.
Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Sheriff’s Strategic Communications Acting Public Information Officer John Wildhaber provided the rest of the story.
“Shortly after 7:00 p.m. that evening, Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a report of a shooting at Clackamas Town Center’s TriMet MAX Light Rail Green Line platform – located at 9235 SE Sunnyside Road, in unincorporated Clackamas County.
“As deputies arrived, multiple suspects fled on foot and in a stolen vehicle,” Wildhaber continued. “Deputies located the stolen vehicle, and pursued it northbound on Interstate 205; the vehicle exited at Washington Street, where it crashed into several vehicles stopped at a traffic light.
CCSO deputies point out the northern direction of the fleeing-on-foot suspects took after the crash.
“Four juvenile occupants of the stolen vehicle were contacted,” Wildhaber continued.
East Portland News asked if the foursome was merely “contacted”, or were they taken into custody, Wildhaber responded, “Due to this still being an active investigation, I cannot release additional information at this time.”
He did say that CCSO deputies also found three additional juveniles involved in the incident who’d fled on foot along I-205 bike path north of the Clackamas Town Center MAX Green Line platform.
By the way, Wildhaber revealed that CCSO deputies recovered two firearms during their investigation.
Late into the night, this investigation continues.
No injuries have been reported in connection with the shooting; and only minor injuries were reported by occupants of the vehicles involved in the crash, Wildhaber made clear.
One juvenile was transported to Donald E Long Juvenile Detention Center on a charge of “Unauthorized Use of a Weapon”.
If you have information about this incident, contact the CCSO’s Tip Line by phone at 503-723-4949, or submit a tip online via the “Submit A Tip” form: CLICK HERE. When you do, make reference to CCSO Case No. 26-005376.
© 2026 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™
