There’s little information for cops to go on. You can help if you saw something odd happening Wednesday night on SE Foster Rd. at this little neighborhood market …
This is the market that got held up. Police hope someone will come forward with information that will lead the arrest of these gun-slinging bandits.
Story and photo by David F. Ashton
Many immigrant families provide a valuable service by operating neighborhood convenience stores. This is especially true in the Lents Neighborhood, which has no free-standing, full-service grocery stores.
In Wednesday, October 14, the Mt. Scott Market – located on SE Foster Road just east of the SE 102nd Ave. intersection – was serving late-evening customers when two thugs approached the store about 10 p.m.
“The two males entered the store, with ‘hoodies’ pulled up, obscuring their faces,” related Portland Police Bureau East Precinct Captain William Walker. “One of them, a slim, young-looking Caucasian or Latino, about 6’ tall, wearing a blue jacket with white sleeves, flashed a sliver handgun.”
Either intentionally or accidentally, the gun-slinging thug fired the pistol once into the concrete floor of the market. “He racked (re-cocked) the gun like he was going to fire another shot,” Walker told us. “Fortunately, the shopkeeper gave up money from the till and the suspects ran from the store. No one was inured.”
Police couldn’t get a good description of the second suspect other than that it was a male, about 5’9” and wearing dark clothes. Both men were wearing gloves.
“A Police K-9 team responded, but couldn’t get a good track on the suspects,” noted Walker.
But, maybe you can help put these bandits – especially the thug that enjoys waving a pistol in the face of hard-working shopkeepers and shooting up stores – by reporting anything out-of-the ordinary you may have seen.
Did you see anything here? If you did, call the Portland Police Bureau Detective Division at (503) 823-0400; they’ll welcome your tip.
© 2009 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News