Learn why police say that, more importantly than arresting suspects, they took a cache of guns off the streets …
Police block off NE 102nd Avenue while they investigate what they now say was an illegal gun sale – gone bad.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The stillness of the early morning was shattered at about 1:00 a.m. on August 29, when shots rang out near apartment buildings tucked in along SE 102nd Avenue, just north of East Burnside Street.
When Portland Police Bureau (PPB) East Precinct district officers rolled up to the scene, the found a 21-year-old man lying in a pool of blood in the parking lot of 115 NE 102nd Avenue.
An ambulance takes a victim, shot multiple times, to the hospital.
“The victim was suffering from multiple gunshot wounds,” reported PPB Public Information Officer Sgt. Pete Simpson. “Medical personnel arrived and transported the victim to an area hospital, where he is being treated for critical injuries.”
Fanning out around the neighborhood, officers located and spoke with several individuals. At 1:07 a.m., police took two men, ages 18 and 29, into custody.
“In the course of the investigation, the Gang Enforcement Team served a search warrant at an apartment at 115 NE 102nd Avenue, where they seized an AR-15 rifle, two 9mm handguns, Methamphetamine, and a stolen TV,” Simpson later said.
At 6:09 p.m. that evening, 29-year-old Ronald Wilson was booked in to the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC). At 7:18 p.m., 18-year-old Carl Demarcus Flie was also booked into jail.
Police allege that these men – (left) 18-year-old Carl Demarcus Flie, and 29-year-old Ronald Wilson – were involved in the parking lot shooting. MCDC booking photos
“The Gang Enforcement Teams investigation revealed that Flie, and Johnson, the victim, were in a parking lot purchasing a firearm,” Simpson later said. “They began to argue over the transaction. During the argument, Flie shot Johnson multiple times. Johnson is recovering in an area hospital.”
About suspect Wilson, Simpson added, “He was believed to be involved in the sale of a weapon with Flie and Johnson. Wilson was charged with Parole Violation, and he will likely face additional criminal charges.”
At this time, Flie remains in custody at MCDC, on charges of Attempted Murder, Assault I, and Unlawful Use of a Weapon, with bail set at $255,000.
Wilson is being held without bail as a Material Witness, and also on Probation Violation charges.
© 2012 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News
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