Week #150 Shooting Report | VIDEO INCLUDED | Learn what’s been revealed about an unusual daytime shooting. Also, see how your officers are continuing to reduce crime in outer East Portland …
This week’s shooting murder: Just after a deadly shooting, after the first Portland Police Bureau East Precinct officers arrived, the yellow tape went up in front of this retail store, blocking off the sidewalk and the shop’s entrance.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
How did we get to 150 weeks of Shooting Reports? CLICK HERE to learn the sad history.
A deadly shooting starts off our report this week.
But, read on to see lots of photos of our Portland Police Bureau (PPB) East Precinct Neighborhood Response Team (NRT) and District Officers, who’ve been working with the Bureau’s Enhanced Community Safety Team (ECST) and Focused Intervention Team (FIT) to take guns off the streets and arrest many suspects.
April 23
Man dies in ‘adult store’ shooting
One by one, more officers arrive at this Sunday morning shooting.
Not long after a customer, who employees portrayed as a regular – perhaps daily – patron, walked into Fantasyland, at 5228 SE. Foster Road on Sunday morning, April 23, he got into a loud disagreement with another man near the “rear arcades”. Then, there were gunshots.
At 10:26 a.m., PPB East Precinct officers were first to reach the store – described as an adult merchandise store and smoke shop – and inside, they found a man dead. The officers immediately summoned detectives from the PPB’s Homicide Unit and criminalists from the Forensic Evidence Division take over the investigation.
The PPB Mobile Command Center parks in front of the store, providing investigators a place to work out of the rain, along with many other police vehicles.
As investigators rolled in, parking up and down the street, the PPB Mobile Command Center also arrived in front of the store, on the south side of SE Foster Road.
All of the investigation took place inside the store; but, here’s what could be seen from the street:
While a criminalist documented with a camera the murder scene, detectives reviewed what led up to the deadly shooting on the store’s video surveillance system.
The investigation kept police at the store for most of the day. However, by that evening, Homicide Division detectives had identified the suspect – 29-year-old Zachary Watson – and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
Officers talk with a criminalist, on their way into the store.
Suspect found the next day
PPB officers spotted a vehicle that matched Watson’s car in the evening of April 24, at about 10:40 p.m. on SE 82nd Avenue of Roses, near Holgate Boulevard. The Clackamas County District Attorney’s office picked up the story from there.
Attempts to stop Watson, including the use of spike strips, were unsuccessful; he kept motoring south into Clackamas County. Officers used a PIT maneuver to spin out the vehicle, south of S.E Causey Avenue, across from the La-Z-Boy store just between Clackamas Square and Clackamas Town Center.
Police said that Watson’s vehicle was stopped as the suspect attempted a U-turn to go back north on SE 82nd Avenue.
Reportedly, that’s when Watson opened fire on law enforcement before PPB officers and Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) deputies returned fire, killing him.
“Lifesaving measures were administered; however, the suspect died at the scene,” CCSO Public Information Unit Deputy John Wildhaber.
Officials say that this man, 29-year-old Zachery Freeman, died in the adult store shooting.
On April 26, the PPB confirmed the shooting victim as 29-year-old Zachery Freeman. The Medical Examiner confirmed the manner and cause of death to be homicide by gunshot wound. His family set up a GoFundMe site, CLICK HERE to visit it.
Anyone with information on this incident who has not yet spoken to police is asked to contact Detective Meghan Burkeen at meghan.burkeen@police.portlandoregon.gov – or Detective Brian Sims at brian.sims@police.portlandoregon.gov. If you do, refer to Case No. 23-105084.
Cops, on another mission
In the Hazelwood neighborhood, along N. E. Halsey Street near 116th Avenue, Portland Police officers “tag team” with Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office deputies in a stolen vehicle stop. PPB image
This week, PPB’s East Precinct partnered with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MSCO) for another successful night of stopping stolen vehicles and arresting car thieves.
As disclosed last week, East Precinct officers and command staff continue to run these operations using a “data-driven and evidence-based approach”. The result: They’re conducting fewer stops, while increasing their rate of stolen vehicle recoveries.
Another 13 stolen vehicles is recovered at this stop. PPB image
And, here’s another one of 19 arrests being made. PPB image
Oh yes, here’s the illegally-possessed firearms seized. PPB image
On April 21 their Stolen Vehicle Operation (SVO), focused on the eastern area of East Precinct, and in the Fairview/Troutdale area.
The data from this SVO is amazing:
13 Stolen Vehicles Recovered
19 Arrests
01 Illegally Possessed Firearms Seized
15 Warrants Serviced
09 Vehicles Eluded
06 Suspects Eluded on Foot
13 Vehicles Towed
08 Citations Issued
27 Drivers contacted with no valid driving privilege
21 Vehicles contacted with no valid vehicle insurance
And, look at these statistics:
1 in every 4 stops resulted in a Stolen Vehicle
1 in every 3 stops resulted in a Custody
1 in every 3 stops resulted in a Warrant Serviced
1 in every 5 stops resulted in a Vehicle Eluding
1 in every 8 stops resulted in a Subject Eluding on Foot
1 in every 4 stops resulted in a Vehicle Towed
1 in every 6 stops resulted in a Citation Issued
Here’s a stolen motorcycle found – leading to an arrest made – in Lents Town Center. PPB image
PPB Chief of Police Chuck Lovell comments
Official photo
“These ongoing missions are successful, due to the commitment shown by the East Precinct personnel and command to really focus enforcement efforts on stolen vehicles, and the nexus they have with gun violence,” remarked Chief Chuck Lovell in a press release.
“I thank the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office for their partnership and assistance with this mission,” he added.
Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell responds
Official photo
Multnomah County Sheriff Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell responded, “Working together to reduce community violence allows us to build safer communities. I thank the Portland Police Bureau for including us in this focused effort in east Multnomah County.”
We commend the good results of this combined crime-fighting effort!
© 2023 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™
click here to subscribe
