Week #91 Shooting Report | Good news: no gunshot murders this week. But, shootings persist across the area. Several suspects were caught, with guns, but judges promptly set them free, without bail …
Bullet shell casings, left behind on neighborhood roads and city streets after shootings, now seem common in outer East Portland.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
Three major, gun-involved crimes this week sent record numbers of Portland Police Bureau (PPB) officers to contain perimeters and capture suspects. Oddly, although firearms were located, none of the suspects possessing them were in jail for more than a few hours.
>> Read all about these stories, plus see this weeks ‘SHOTS FIRED LOG’ in this Week #91 Shooting Report.
March 31
Powellhurst-Gilbert suspects arrested in Reed neighborhood
PPB District officers, and those with specialized units, flood the Reed neighborhood, after suspects – with guns – are tracked there from Powellhurst-Gilbert.
A simple “traffic stop” in the Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood, along SE Powell Boulevard near 115th Avenue, ended up considerably west – 5.2 miles west, to be specific – in the Reed neighborhood, on Thursday afternoon, March 31.
At 4:42 p.m., two PPB East Precinct officers, working a partner car, initiated a “traffic stop” in the outer East Portland neighborhood due to a driving infraction.
As police dogs track the suspects who ran into a large apartment complex, officers stand wait on the perimeter, should they be flushed out.
Instead of pulling over and stopping, the driver hit the gas and sped off. As it turned out, the PPB’s “Air 1” – was flying overhead in that area; and a minute later the observation officer in the aircraft spotted the fleeing vehicle.
That “eye-in-the-sky” officer witnessed dangerous and reckless driving behavior – including high speeds, passing in oncoming lanes, and running red lights. At least one other driver’s car was nearly struck by the suspect vehicle.
Officers from East Precinct, Central Precinct, the Focused Intervention Team, and a K9 unit responded to assist, as the vehicle sped west – mostly along SE Holgate Boulevard, before turning south on 28th Avenue.
An officer stands by, near the car from which three suspects hit the street running.
By this time, a total of 38 officers were involved. After the car stopped on SE Colt Street, just east of 28th Avenue, three suspects made a run for it on foot.
After picking up their scent from the abandoned car, a PPB police dog sniffed out two of the suspects. The third person slipped way from the dragnet that included the large apartment complex at that intersection, and extended about five blocks in every direction, including into the Reed College campus.
These two firearms were found by officers and seized as evidence. PPB image
One of those arrested was 19-year-old Yonis Jama of Portland.
[Why no booking photos? CLICK HERE to find out.]
Jama was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC) at 7:42 p.m. that evening on charges of Unlawful Possession of Firearms, Attempt to Elude Police by Vehicle, and Reckless Driving.
However, after spending only a few hours in jail, Jama was released, without having to post bail, the morning of April 1. Release Reason: Court Ordered Release of Charges.
Also arrested was 18-year-old Sa’Maurion Niyannah Harris, who was booked into the MCDC at 7:43 p.m. on charges of Unlawful Possession of Firearms. However, Harris was also released, without being required to post bail, the morning of April 1. Release Reason: Court Ordered Release of Charges.
PPB’s FIT squad officers arrive to further the investigation.
The investigation is continuing by the PPB’s Enhanced Community Safety Team (ECST) and the Focused Intervention Team (FIT). If you can provide them with information about this incident, it Case No. 22-86121.
March 31
21-mile carjacking crime odyssey ends in Gresham
Night had fallen, when East Precinct officers spotted a car, carjacked miles away in North Portland. They tried to stop it in the Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood.
Three males were arrested after a carjacking in North Portland’s Portsmouth neighborhood; they’d tried to elude police through East Precinct, got stuck in Powellhurst-Gilbert, and fled into Gresham on March 31.
It started at 2:12 p.m. that afternoon when North Precinct officers were dispatched to a carjacking incident in the 5000 block of North Cecelia Street, just south of North Columbia Boulevard.
The victim told officers that several young men had approached him, one of them displaying a gun in his waistband, and demanded his car and other property, before driving off in his blue Hyundai Sonata.
Officers try to stop the carjacked vehicle again, but it takes off.
All officers were keeping an eye out for the carjacked vehicle, with at least one gun-armed teen inside. At 9:52 p.m., an East Precinct patrol unit spotted the stolen Hyundai near SE Division Street and 130th Avenue, in the Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood.
The driver didn’t stop, and took off, heading south – but got trapped in a dead-end street at SE 133rd Avenue and Brooklyn Court. That’s when he used the purloined Hyundai to ram his way past the PPB SUV and get away.
Again, officers deferred to the PPB’s overhead “Air 1” aircraft that was monitoring the incident. Officers in the sky watched as the teen recklessly drove – speeding, running red lights, and passing vehicles in oncoming lanes – without any officer pursing behind! Another officer was able to successfully deploy spike strips near East Burnside Street and 148th Avenue.
Here, at East Burnside Street and 148th Avenue, a spike strips flattens at least one of the vehicles’ tires, but the driver keeps heading north, in an attempt to make a getaway.
Finally, an officer spun out the carjacked vehicle East Burnside Street and 162nd Avenue – but it kept going, smashing and crashing into numerous parked vehicles at NE 172nd Avenue and Glisan Street, just across the Portland City line into Gresham.
The quartet of teens ran from their stolen ride as officers surrounded the neighborhood.
Members of East Precinct, the PPB K9 unit, the FIT, Special Emergency Reaction Team, Air Support Unit (Air 1), Gresham Police patrol, and the Gresham Police Drone Unit all assisted the search for the suspects – flooding the area until they were arrested.
Four guns were recovered from the stolen vehicle, including a loaded AR-15 rifle, and 3 loaded pistols. One was an unmarked, unbranded “ghost” gun. The weapons are now being held as evidence.
Although allegedly packing three pistols, and an AR-47 assault rifle – and lots of ammo – the courts treat these suspected armed carjackers as “children”, and release them back into society. Traditionally, the red bandanna tied on the AR-47 is associated with the “Bloods” gang – but these teens may not be gang-affiliated. The PPB image
18-year-old Treveon Phillips of Gresham was booked into the MCDC at on April 1 at 3:28 a.m., on charges of Unlawful Possession of Firearms, Attempt to Elude Police by Vehicle, Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle, and an outstanding arrest warrant. Although legally having reached the age of majority, Phillips was released on April 4, without posting any bail. Release Reason: Juvenile Detention.
Although 18-year-old suspects Treveon Phillips and De’Shawn Elijah Hunt could be charged as adults; apparently, Multnomah County judges feel differently. [Why no booking photos? CLICK HERE to find out.]
18-year-old De’Shawn Elijah Hunt of Gresham was also booked into the MCDC a minute later on April 1, at 3:29 a.m., on charges of Unlawful Possession of Firearms, Attempt to Elude Police by Vehicle, and Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle. Hunt was released later the same day of his arrest, without posting any bail. Release Reason: Court Ordered Release.
A 17-year-old male, residing in Portland, was booked into the Donald E. Long Juvenile Detention Hall on charges of Unlawful Possession of Firearms and an outstanding warrant. No information is available about his release back into our neighborhoods.
More charges are possible after additional investigation is done by Portland Police Robbery Detectives and the ECST. If you can provide detectives information about this “Robbery-with Weapon” incident, refer to Case No. 22-86014.
April 1
Powellhurst-Gilbert armed robbery suspects captured in Gates Park property
Officers, along the north side of the “Gates Property” park, on SE Mall Street, look for suspects in an armed robbery.
Not all crimes with guns take place on clear evenings. Rain was sheeting down the evening of April 1 when PPB East Precinct officers were dispatched to a “Robbery-with Weapon” at 10:03 p.m. to the area of the Guilty Pleasures Gentleman’s Club on SE Powell Boulevard just east of 136th Avenue.
Arriving at the crime scene within moments, officers learned that the suspect took off from the area, heading south along 136th Avenue – and radioed the information to other police cruisers coming into the area.
This the apparently stolen vehicle, alleged to have been used as the get-away car in the armed robbery; after it got smashed into Gates Park.
Apparently, officers caught sight of the dark blue sedan. Blocking SE 136th Avenue, less than a mile from the crime scene, as the getaway car briefly sped east along Holgate Boulevard.
Soon, however, the suspects’ car slid out of control, left the pavement, mowed down a sturdy wooden fence post, and came to a stop inside the southeast corner of what neighbors call the “Gates Property” – an undeveloped Portland City Park.
The suspects wrestled away the car’s airbags that had deployed in the crash, and took off, running and stumbling, in the rain across uneven terrain of the park, heading northeast.
With officers ringing the area, one police unit drives private property at the eastern boundary of the park as they search for suspects.
As the search for the suspects continued, more officers moved in. Eventually a total of 42 officers, including the PPB Robbery Division, FIT and ECST, were surrounding the property, parked with their headlights and light-bars illuminating the park.
Officers with long guns were located in the 14000 block of SE Holgate Boulevard; additional officers were across the park in SE Mall Street. It looked like one PPB vehicle had driven into the property, southbound, at the eastern edge of the park, on private property.
Somehow, this PPB SUV cruiser was damaged and not drivable; is was being towed away for the area.
It is unclear just when the suspects were arrested, but at 12:53 a.m., 30 units were still in the area.
“Officers responded to this situation with a goal of apprehension, keeping community safety as the focus,” PPB Media Relations Sergeant Michael Roberts assured East Portland News, after looking at the call records.
“Officers located the vehicle and were able to apprehend the occupants, after the vehicle eluded and tactical intervention techniques were applied,” Sergeant Roberts continued.
22-year-old Tyler James Snell-Clark was booked into the MCDC on April 2 at 2:08 a.m. on charges of Reckless Driving, Attempt to Elude by Vehicle, Attempt to Elude on Foot, Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, and Possession of a Stolen Vehicle.
Snell-Clark was released from custody back into the community on April 2, without being required to post bail. Release Reason: Pre-Trial Supervision.
If you have information about this incident to share with law enforcement, it’s Case No. 22-87269.
March 30 and April 1
Two injured in outer East Portland shootings
March 30
‘Walk-in’ wounded arrives at hospital
At 11:30 p.m., PPB officers were dispatched to the Emergency Department at Adventist Medical Center after a person with at least gunshot wound was brought there by private vehicle. Officers learned little about the location or circumstances from the shooting victim. This is Case No. 22-85475.
April 1
Shooting injures one in Powellhurst-Gilbert
Near this shooting, PPB FIT officers get investigation materials from their vehicle.
At 7:48 p.m., East Precinct officers were dispatched to SE 122nd Avenue near Powell Boulevard, and found a shooting victim in the far corner of the Safeway parking lot.
“Officers arrived and found a victim who was taken to an area hospital with a non-life- threatening injury,” Sergeant Roberts reported. “This is an ongoing investigation and no arrests have been made at this time.” This is Case No. 22-87165.
>> If you can provide any information about these incidents, or any of the ‘Shots Fired” calls, please email them to crimetips@portlandoregon.gov, and include the Case Number. Or, submit a tip, remain totally anonymous, and get a cash reward of up to $2,500 through Crime Stoppers at their website: CLICK HERE.
~ SHOTS FIRED LOG ~
The number of “Shots Fired” calls remains fairly consistent from week to week – 36 of them in this log. Officers frequently find evidence of shooting at many of these incidents; and as often as not, they do not.
March 30
22-85411 03/30/2022 21:51:05 NE THOMPSON ST / NE 95TH PL
March 31
22-85523 03/31/2022 00:37:36 14700 Block of SE CLINTON ST
22-85576 03/31/2022 02:21:56 SE 132ND AVE / SE POWELL BLVD
22-85663 03/31/2022 06:28:11 6200 Block of SE WOODSTOCK BLVD
22-85654 03/31/2022 06:54:30 8700 Block of NE HALSEY ST
22-86395 03/31/2022 23:19:15 10800 Block of NE FREMONT ST
April 1
22-86503 04/01/2022 03:11:17 15000 Block of SE STARK ST
22-86797 04/01/2022 12:29:34 SE 146TH AVE / SE MAIN ST
22-87226 04/01/2022 20:56:23 700 Block of NE 87TH AVE
April 2
22-87344 04/02/2022 00:03:34 SE 83RD AVE / SE HOLGATE BLVD
22-11920 04/02/2022 00:05:52 16600 Block of NE RUSSELL ST
22-11942 04/02/2022 03:04:24 NE 162ND AVE / NE HALSEY ST
22-87678 04/02/2022 11:32:07 6000 Block of SE 111TH AVE
22-88124 04/02/2022 20:51:40 13000 Block of SE MORRISON ST
22-88180 04/02/2022 21:58:13 14600 Block of SE CRYSTAL ST
22-88247 04/02/2022 23:08:29 4900 Block of NE 82ND AVE
22-88258 04/02/2022 23:16:47 4000 Block of SE TENINO ST
April 3
22-88313 04/03/2022 00:23:25 SE 91ST AVE / SE REEDWAY ST
22-88331 04/03/2022 00:46:49 4100 Block of SE CRYSTAL SPRINGS BLVD
22-88344 04/03/2022 00:56:23 11900 Block of SE GRANT ST
22-88357 04/03/2022 01:10:09 5000 Block of NE KILLINGSWORTH ST
22-88461 04/03/2022 03:33:38 SE 92ND AVE / SE HAROLD ST
22-88800 04/03/2022 13:56:00 8600 Block of SE MALDEN CT
22-89041 04/03/2022 18:51:39 500 Block of NE 102ND AVE
22-89129 04/03/2022 20:59:39 00 Block of NE 84TH AVE
22-89209 04/03/2022 22:47:02 SE 74TH AVE / SE POWELL BLVD
22-89242 04/03/2022 23:43:11 SE 74TH AVE / SE HAROLD ST
April 4
22-89394 04/04/2022 04:55:33 NE FREMONT CT / NE 141ST AVE
22-89442 04/04/2022 06:53:36 NE 92ND AVE / NE HALSEY ST
22-89955 04/04/2022 18:19:04 SE 160TH AVE / SE DIVISION ST
22-90082 04/04/2022 20:59:33 100 Block of SE 106TH AVE
22-90149 04/04/2022 22:29:30 SE KNAPP ST / SE MT SCOTT BLVD
22-90189 04/04/2022 23:30:43 14700 Block of SE CLINTON ST
April 5
22-90223 04/05/2022 00:23:49 NE 92ND AVE / NE RUSSELL ST
22-90531 04/05/2022 11:09:59 17300 Block of SE NAEGELI DR
22-90690 04/05/2022 13:33:35 I205 FWY / NE GLISAN ST
April 6
22-91320 04/06/2022 07:23:09 SE 128TH AVE / SE RAMONA ST
22-91340 04/06/2022 07:56:18 9500 Block of NE SANDY BLVD
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Since many of the arrested are charged with illegal possession, or use, of a weapon, which usually means they have already been convicted of a gun crime and are now not allowed to have a gun, it leads one to believe that there is some evidence that recidivism is a significant cause of ongoing crimes, committed with guns here.
© 2022 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™