Alleged ‘RoboCam Killer’ arrested – after shooting out many outer East Portland traffic control cameras

Week #209 Shooting Report | INCLUDES ACTUAL SHOOTING VIDEO | See why it looks as if the guy who’s been shooting at, and damaging, robotic traffic cameras in outer East Portland has finally been caught, and jailed …

At first, all Portland Police had to go on were fuzzy images of his car, driving away from where a man took careful aim, and shot out robotic traffic cameras.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

You may not like “Red Light Cameras” and “Speeding Cameras” that robotically snap photos of traffic violators – the images from which are used to issue citations, but they work in slowing traffic and preventing accidents. And they are very expensive; it will take more of your tax money to replace them.

It’s not clear if the man was expressing hatred for the devices – or had other issues with the “RoboCams” – but starting on May 27th this suspect has been firing a handgun at “city equipment” – specifically RoboCams – at least seven times, causing hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of damage, according to the Portland Police Bureau (PPB).

Watch this PPB-provided video of the suspect in outer East Portland on May 27, shooting up one of the pole-mounted traffic cameras:

As the video shows, the man, wearing a blue coat with hood, black pants, and eyeglasses, fires a handgun with tactical light and hops back into a black or charcoal colored 2008-2014 Subaru WRX sedan, with no license plates.

Then, on Monday, June 10, 1:14 p.m., officers were dispatched to NE Northeast Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Oregon Street to look into another such shooting – reportedly by the same man, driving the same car.

Night and day, the RoboCam killer shoots at these devices.

A short time later, additional shootings were reported in the Hazelwood neighborhood along SE Stark Street at 122nd Avenue and at 148th Avenue.

Arrested after reckless driving into Centennial
After driving recklessly through Southeast Portland, at times into oncoming traffic, the suspect stopped his vehicle in Centennial neighborhood, a parking lot in the area of SE 148th Avenue and Division Street.

Officers prepare to approach the suspect in the Centennial neighborhood.

Officers’ reports show that the suspect “exited the vehicle in a very non-compliant, agitated state – and he kept reaching for his waistband.”

Officers used physical force to take the suspected vandal into custody. This resulted in some injuries to the suspect and to one PPB officer.

Law enforcement agencies and jails are forbidden to provide booking photos taken after a suspect is arrested, under recent Oregon State law, prior to their conviction. Thus, you’re not allowed to see the MCDC booking photo of Chase Payton Grijalva taken after his arrest. CLICK HERE for details.

Finally, after he was treated for injuries, 28-year-old Chase Payton Grijalva, was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC) at June 11 at 2:02 a.m. on multiple Felony charges, including Criminal Mischief in the First Degree (17 counts), Unlawful Use of a Weapon (17 counts), and Resisting Arrest.

Some charges were added at his arraignment, with Grijalva, having caused an estimated $500,000 in damage to more than a dozen traffic control cameras across the city, bringing to total number of charges to 40. However, a kindly judge then “released” 27 of those Felony and Misdemeanor charges.

But Grijalva is still behind bars, without bail, in the MCDC.

If you have information about this case, e-mail it to crimetips@police.portlandoregon.gov Attn: Property Crimes Unit – and reference Case Number 24-134019.

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So, for a change there’s some good news in the 209th East Portland News “Weekly Shooting Report” as Portland Police Bureau officers locate, and – for the time being – take an alleged wild-driving gun-firing vandal off the streets; one who has been shooting bullets in residential neighborhoods.

To find out when, why, and how, these weekly “Shooting Report” articles began and still continue, CLICK HERE.

© 2024 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™

 

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