Week #217 Shooting Report | INCLUDES INVESTIGATIONAL VIDEO | This week’s stories include a shooting homicide, a felon trying to outrun police in Lents, and a shootout in Wilkes …
Officers close off another outer East Portland street as they investigate another shooting.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
After a rather quiescent two weeks, the “Shooting Report” is back, as criminals – using guns – again cause havoc on our neighborhood streets.
August 12
Felon, with gun, fails to elude police in Lents
Thanks to the Portland Police’s Aerial Observation Unit airplane, a fleeing suspect – who hid his motorcycle under a tarp behind a homeless encampment – is located and arrested.
For unknown reasons, the Portland Bureau of Emergency Communications (BOEC) lately has been assigning vague descriptions to calls, including this one on Monday evening, August 12. It this instance, the incident was described as “Suspicious Subject, Vehicle or Circumstance”.
Finding a total of 16 Portland Police Bureau (PPB), including East Precinct officers, two Canine Teams – and the Bureau’s “eye-in-the-sky” aerial observation plane, “Air 2” – all dispatched to this call at 9:58 p.m. – seemed “suspicious”, indeed.
The ground units were converging on SE Mitchell Street and 94th Avenue as Air 2 circled overhead.
Watch as officers uncover the motorcycle, after taking the suspect into custody:
“An officer noticed a motorcycle, without a license plate, exiting a parking lot without signaling,” Public Information Officer Terri Wallo Strauss later filled in East Portland News.
“The officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the individual eluded and sped off,” Wallo Strauss continued. “Because it was too dangerous to pursue the subject, the officer kept his distance.”
Officers examine the motorcycle; the suspect is being detained behind the camper truck.
Because Air 2 was flying that evening in and near the area, the aerial officer kept an eye on the fleeing motorcycle rider as he zipped past the blocks.
“When the eluding motorcyclist eventually stopped, he covered the motorcycle under a tarp, and hid; Air 2 kept tracking the subject, directing officers how to find and arrest him,” Wallo Strauss informed.
Law enforcement agencies are forbidden to provide booking photos taken after a suspect is arrested, under Oregon State law, prior to conviction, Thus, you’re not allowed to see the MCDC booking photo of Richard Cletus Ward, taken after his arrest. CLICK HERE for details.
Arrested was 41-year-old Richard Cletus Ward, who was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center at 11:19 p.m. that evening, on multiple charges involving a stolen vehicle and eluding police. However, at his arraignment, a judge “released” both Felony and all four Misdemeanor related charges.
However, Ward remains lodged in Inverness Jail on a Felony “Felon in Possession of a Firearm” charge.
If you have information about this incident, send it by email crimetips@police.portlandoregon.gov and reference Case No. 24-203037.
August 13
Man gunned down on a Hazelwood street
Police block off a large area near the intersection of NE Glisan Street and 122nd Avenue, as a shooting homicide investigation begins.
When a man was shot and killed on August 13th along NE Glisan Street near 121st Avenue; PPB East Precinct officers were dispatched to the crime scene at 11:34 p.m. that Tuesday evening.
The PPB has said very little about this shooting, other than that arriving officers found a dead man there.
Into the night, the investigation of this deadly shooting continues.
As PPB Homicide Unit detectives arrived, NE 122nd Avenue was also closed down some distance from its intersection with Glisan Street. Because reporters were kept some distance from the scene, it was difficult to ascertain what took place by observation.
No arrests have been made and no suspects have been detained.
Officials say this is the man, John R. Molesworth, was murdered in this Hazelwood shooting. Family provided photo
On August 15, Portland Police revealed that it was 43-year-old John R. Molesworth, of Portland, who was killed. The Medical Examiner determined Molesworth died of homicide by gunshot wound.
If you have information about this incident, contact Detective Calvin Goldring at Calvin.Goldring@police.portlandoregon.gov or Detective William Winters at William.Winters@police.portlandoregon.gov 503-823-0466. Please reference Case No. 24-204066.
August 15
Shootout erupts in Wilkes; one combatant seriously wounded
In the usually-peaceful streets of the Wilkes Community Group neighborhood, a morning shooting leaves behind wrecked vehicles, and a badly wounded combatant.
What the BOEC should have described as a “Shooting-with-Weapon” – or at least a “Shots Fired” call – on Thursday morning, August 15, was vaguely described as a “Disturbance-with-Weapon” call.
Why were 17 PPB officers, including those from North Precinct, a Canine Team and their drone squad all dispatched at 9:06 a.m. that morning to NE Sacramento Street near 143rd Avenue?
It was a vehicle-to-vehicle shootout, neighbors told reporters — with numerous gunshots fired.
An officer and sergeant stand next to a shot-up pickup truck, in which a person was seriously wounded.
A PPB official confirmed only that two suspects drove down NE Sacramento Street and shot at each other.
Neighbors said a person in one of the vehicles shot at a white, “king cab” pickup truck before smashing into a parked SUV – and then driving off, making an almost clean getaway.
This neighbor’s SUV was demolished when one of the fleeing shooters smashed into it.
Bullet holes are clearly visible in the side of the pickup truck, as was blood, smeared on the driver’s side door.
According to some reports, a wounded person that had been in the crashed pickup truck was taken to the hospital, with life-threatening injuries, and remains there in that condition.
If you have information, or perhaps video surveillance images from this incident, and haven’t yet spoken with police, email crimetips@police.portlandoregon.gov and reference Case No. 24-205350.
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Thus ends our 217th East Portland News “Weekly Shooting Report”.
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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