1,000 shootings this year so far, mostly in outer East Portland

Week #67 Shooting Report | With five injury-causing shooting incidents, and 43 ‘Shots Fired’ calls logged this week, it’s no wonder that Portland’s Police Chief says this is a ‘terrible problem’. The Portland City Council is scheduled to vote on ‘re-funding’ police on October 28; contact them now

Since the Portland Police Bureau Gun Violence Reduction Team was disbanded some 16 months ago, outer East Portland neighbors have been subjected to a fusillade of shootings every week that keep officers, like these, running from crime scene to crime scene.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

Shootings have continued all over outer East Portland this week; and are not yet showing any signs of slowing.

READ ON:

  • To learn about an arrest made in the May 28 Hazelwood shooting;
  • To find out more about this week’s top shooting cases; and,
  • To see our Shots Fired Log – to learn if shootings have taken place in your neighborhood; on your street.

 

Police chief laments shootings

It’s been all over the news: Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Chief Chuck Lovell lamenting that our city has logged more than 1,000 shootings – so far – this year.

Although strapped for resources, Portland Police Bureau Police Chief Chuck Lovell says officers and investigators have been doing their best to bring the criminals who fire guns to justice. City of Portland image

“Too many have prematurely ended lives and caused injury,” Lovell said via Twitter. “But all shootings cause trauma to our community.”

Readers of East Portland News are not surprised that, according to PPB statistics, 72% of the shootings in 2021 at have taken place in the jurisdictions of East Precinct and North Precinct in outer East Portland.

Meetings and plans continue, while bullets fly
Earlier this year, Portland’s Commissioner of Police, Mayor Ted Wheeler, touted the roll- out of the PPB’s “Focused Intervention Team” (FIT) to, in some way, take up the work of the PPB’s shuttered “Gun Violence Reduction Team” (GVRT).

In April, Chief Lovell observed that getting officers to join FIT might be difficult, due to Mayor Wheeler’s disbanding the similarly-functioning GVRT in June, 2020 – corresponding exactly to when the dramatic increase in shooting violence began.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, shown arriving at the scene of a shooting in the Lents neighborhood. East Portland News archive image

On June 4, Mayor Wheeler announced that his six hand-picked members of what was called the “FIT Community Oversight Group (COG)” began meeting. Since the, the FIT-COG has held 18 meetings, most recently on October 21. How the FIT-COG has been shaping this new PPB division is murky and unclear; CLICK HERE to see their official City of Portland webpage.

After all this time, and all of those meetings, according to FIT leader acting PPB Lt. Ken Duilio, the FIT won’t be “fully operational” by mid-November.

Funding vote scheduled for October 28th
With Portland City Council slashing the Portland Police Bureau’s budget by about $16 Million for 2020-21 last year, they are scheduled to vote on “proposed budget revisions” on October 28.

Those who care about public safety in their neighborhood may email their elected officials, politely encouraging them to add some of the reported $65 Million “budget surplus” back in to the PPB’s budget.

 

Arrest made in May Hazelwood shooting

A bit west of SE 122nd Avenue, along Ash Street, officers investigate a shooting that left a victim with a serious gunshot wound. East Portland News archive image

A months-long investigation into a shooting which took place in the Hazelwood neighborhood on May 28 has led to an arrest on felony assault charge, and the seizure of a gun. CLICK HERE to read this story.

Enhanced Community Safety Team (ECST) investigators responded to the scene, and for about four months, kept diligently working on the case to develop information which has led them to a suspect in this shooting.

Last week, on October 12, the ECST, enlisted the aid of the Special Emergency Reaction Team, and Crisis Negotiation Team as they headed out to NE 112th Avenue, just south of Halsey Street, also in the Hazelwood neighborhood.

This the gun that officers recovered during the arrest of the Hazelwood shooting suspect. PPB image

There, officers arrested 30-year-old Joe William Smoot; and a search warrant executed on a vehicle connected to Smoot led investigators to a loaded 9mm pistol.

Arrested, charged with three Felonies, but now set free until his trial, is 30-year-old Joe William Smoot. MCDC booking photo

Smoot was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC) at 5:38 p.m. that afternoon on an arrest warrant for Assault in the First Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon (Firearm) and Burglary in the First Degree. At his arraignment, Smoot learned that the two Class A Felonies and one Class C Felony carried a combined bail of $305,000.

Notwithstanding the Felony charges, Smoot was released back into the community on October 20 without posting bail. Release Reason: Court-Ordered Release.

Let ECST investigators know if you can provide information about this incident, Case No. 21-144201 – or any other shooting – by emailing to crimetips@portlandoregon.gov.

Five shooting incidents this week

Shooting incidents continued to keep officers, and members of the ECST, busy this week.

October 15 at 8:04 p.m.
Man found with multiple gunshot wounds, in the Wikes Community Group neighborhood

On a deserted stretch of NE Marine Drive, near the Entercom radio towers facility, PPB North Precinct officers were sent on a shooting report on the evening of October 15.

It’s unclear how a wounded man came to located in this area, along NE Marine Drive, on the eastern edge of outer East Portland.

“Officers found an adult male with multiple gunshot wounds,” said PPB Public Information Officer Sergeant Kevin Allen about this shooting. “The victim was taken by ambulance to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, and was expected to be released the same night.

“The suspect or suspects [involved in the shooting] left before police were called, and have not been located,” Sgt. Allen added.

If you can help supply information about this incident, contact Portland Police at crimetips@portlandoregon.gov and refer to Case No. 21-288569.

October 20 at 8:10 p.m.
Person wounded by gunfire in Powellhurst-Gilbert

Along SE 125th Place, just off Powell Boulevard, officers respond when a disturbance call turns into a shooting. PPB image

PPB East Precinct officers were first dispatched to the 12500 Block of SE Powell Court at the northern edge of the Powell Villa Shopping Center for a “Disturbance – Priority” call, on Wednesday evening, October 20.

Officers quickly found that the disturbance report was actually a shooting – and not far away, in the area SE Powell Boulevard and 125th Place. “One person was struck by gunfire and was taken by ambulance to an area hospital,” a PPB East Precinct sergeant reported.

This evidence marker shows where one of the bullet casings landed. PPB image

If you can provide information about this incident, contact Portland Police at crimetips@portlandoregon.gov and refer to Case No. 21-293682.

October 21 at 4:00 a.m.
‘Walk-in’ shooting victim seeks aid at hospital
When a person who has been injured in a violent way, hospital officials are bound by law to report it to law enforcement agencies, in this case the PPB.

In this case, an individual came by private vehicle to the Emergency Department at Adventist Medical Center, located in the Hazelwood neighborhood with a gunshot wound. The extent of the person’s injuries are unknown, as is the location of where the shooting took place. These shooting victims are seldom cooperative with police.

Know something about this incident? If so, contact Portland Police at crimetips@portlandoregon.gov and refer to Case No. 21-294083.

Gunshots reported, across outer East Portland

October 18 about 12:48 am
Houses and cars struck by bullets, in Gresham

This street, at the eastern edge of Portland, is littered with bullet casings. PPB image

Just across the Portland City Limits, east of outer East Portland, Gresham Police Department officers heard gunshots near SE 165th Avenue and Main Street in the wee hours of Thursday, October 28.

“Officers investigated and found 57 bullet casings, and four (4) ‘live’ rounds of ammunition in the area,” a PPB East Precinct sergeant said.

Gresham Police and PPB officers – and, later, PPB ECST investigators – found bullet holes in cars which had been shot up during the incident. PPB image

“Two houses, four cars, a fence, and a mailbox were struck by bullets; but, thankfully, no injuries were reported,” the sergeant added, which the PPB ECST is investigating. No PPB Case Number is available.

‘Shots Fired’ log

In the middle of the night, an officer looks for bullet holes and strikes, responding to another “Shots Fired” call in outer East Portland.

A total of 43 “Shots Fired” calls sent officers to almost every outer East Portland neighborhood this week. Note: At many of these calls, officers found little or no evidence of a shooting.

October 14
21-287528       10/14/2021 at 19:11:23           11200 Block of SE FOSTER RD
21-287734       10/14/2021 at 23:51:16           NE 82ND AVE / NE GLISAN ST

October 15
21-287765       10/15/2021 at 00:46:59           1800 Block of NE 113TH AVE
21-287792       10/15/2021 at 01:52:10           16200 Block of SE DIVISION ST
21-288515       10/15/2021 at 18:52:22           14800 Block of SE FOSTER RD
21-288668       10/15/2021 at 22:04:58          5700 Block of SE 74TH AVE
21-288696       10/15/2021 at 22:33:54           NE 125TH PL / NE PRESCOTT DR

October 16
21-288778       10/16/2021 at 00:11:04           2400 Block of SE 135TH AVE
21-288807       10/16/2021 at 00:49:17           SE 166TH PL / SE WASHINGTON ST
21-288884       10/16/2021 at 02:51:08          9600 Block of SE STARK ST
21-288897       10/16/2021 at 03:17:11           NE 63RD AVE / NE COLUMBIA BLVD
21-289109       10/16/2021 at 12:06:40           17000 Block of SE NAEGELI DR
21-289223       10/16/2021 at 13:05:28           3700 Block of SE 134TH AVE
21-289528       10/16/2021 at 19:37:36           NE 150TH PL / NE GLISAN ST
21-289549       10/16/2021 at 20:04:52           SE 87TH AVE / SE DUKE ST
21-289570       10/16/2021 at 20:39:47           6100 Block of SE MALDEN ST
21-289669       10/16/2021 at 22:41:58           5400 Block of NE 112TH AVE
21-289697       10/16/2021 at 23:13:13           15200 Block of SE YAMHILL ST
21-289710       10/16/2021 at 23:29:38          10400 Block of SE STARK ST

October 17
21-289886       10/17/2021 at 03:51:07           8300 Block of SE BROOKLYN ST
21-289892       10/17/2021 at 03:58:11           11900 Block of NE HOLLADAY ST
21-289897       10/17/2021 at 04:07:31           3000 Block of NE ROCKY BUTTE RD
21-289914       10/17/2021 at 04:49:05           1100 Block of NE 99TH AVE
21-289927       10/17/2021 at 05:10:20           17800 Block of NE MARINE DR
21-290391       10/17/2021 at 16:34:10           8900 Block of SE TAYLOR ST
21-290457       10/17/2021 at 18:00:55           3300 Block of NE 82ND AVE
21-290548       10/17/2021 at 19:57:12           7600 Block of SE 82ND AVE

October 18
21-290803       10/18/2021 at 03:14:36           8200 Block of NE SANDY BLVD
21-290804       10/18/2021 at 03:17:47           12600 Block of NE PRESCOTT DR
21-291112       10/18/2021 at 11:17:24               3200 Block of NE 83RD AVE
21-052745       10/18/2021 at 16:29:18            17600 Block of SE FOSTER RD
21-291695       10/18/2021 at 22:02:39           11000 Block of SE STARK ST
21-291712       10/18/2021 at 22:36:40            1600 Block of NE 146TH AVE
21-291763       10/18/2021 at 23:51:44            4300 Block of NE 84TH AVE

October 19
21-291779       10/19/2021 at 00:22:17           4500 Block of NE 95TH AVE
21-291846       10/19/2021 at 03:34:10           7400 Block of SE KNIGHT ST
21-292622       10/19/2021 at 18:00:58           East Burnside / SE 108TH AVE
21-292645       10/19/2021 at 18:29:40           SE FOSTER RD/HOLGATE BLVD
21-293016       10/20/2021 at 04:38:59           6700 Block of SE 114TH AVE

October 20
21-293949       10/20/2021 at 23:49:49           16000 Block of NE ROSE PKWY
21-293796       10/20/2021 at 20:22:26           6200 Block of SE 70TH AVE

October 21
21-044389       10/20/2021 at 21:14:59           17700 Block of NE SACRAMENTO ST
21-293851       10/20/2021 at 21:35:46           7700 Block of SE HAROLD ST

~ ~ ~ ~

All these incidents underscore the value of having more police officers on the street to prevent violent crime.

Shootings are likely go go down, and livability increase in outer East Portland neighborhoods, should the Portland City Council decided to allocate some of their unexpected new “budget surplus” to restoring the draconian cuts they previously made to the Portland Police Bureau.

© 2021 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™

 

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