Man arrested after shooting up Argay Terrace store

There were many “Shots Fired” calls in outer East Portland this week. This one could have really been deadly. See how Portland Police Bureau officers deescalated the situation, and kept everyone safe …

As a severe winter storm was sweeping across the area, law enforcement officers were called to an Argay Terrace convenience store where a clerk called for help as a man pulled a gun.

By David F. Ashton

The snow and ice storm this week didn’t keep Portland Police Bureau (PPB) away from more than a dozen “Shots Fired” calls, as shooting incidents continued to rage across our 13 neighborhoods.

However, one incident, the evening of Friday, February 12, had the potential of being the most deadly of all. It happened when a man fired shots inside a convenience store in the Argay Terrace neighborhood.

PPB North Precinct officers were dispatched at 10:36 p.m. to Plaid Pantry convenience store, just west of NE 141st Avenue, along Sandy Boulevard – during the first peak of the long snow and ice storm.

After the clerk escaped, the suspect inside the store opened fire, shattering the front window. PPB image

“A caller to the 9-1-1 Center – an employee in the store – called to say the suspect had pulled out a gun and was waving it around,” said PPB Public Information Officer Sergeant Kevin Allen.

Officers were dispatched to assist; but extremely treacherous driving conditions slowed the response, observed Allen. Seeing the officers arriving outside, the employee safely left the store.

“At 10:59 p.m., officers heard shots from inside the store, and a front window shattered,” Allen disclosed.

With the situation escalating, PPB supervisors called in help from the Bureau’s Special Emergency Reaction Team and the Crisis Negotiation Team.

“Officers were deployed in the icy weather, and surrounded the building,” Allen reported.

“Some community members, who were in a vehicle in the parking lot of the convenience store, were stuck in the ice and snow, and unable to move – so officers evacuated them on foot,” Allen continued. “Other occupied cars in the ‘danger zone’ on NE Sandy Boulevard were also evacuated. And, eventually, during the ordeal, Sandy Boulevard was closed down for several blocks,” he said.

Officers took this loaded Ruger LCP pistol from the suspect who is accused of shooting the handgun in the store.

“At 11:45 p.m., the suspect came out of the store and surrendered; officers took him into custody, and a loaded pistol was seized as evidence,” Allen reported. “It’s not clear if the suspect was attempting to shoot officers or anyone else, but in the end, no one was injured.”

Arrested, but not jailed, 63-year-old Marlin Raye Fields will someday called to face two Felony and three Misdemeanor charges related to this shooting incident.

Arrested was 63-year-old Marlin Raye Fields, who was “criminally cited in lieu of custody” at the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC) on February 13 at 6:34 a.m. on charges of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, Unlawful Possession of Firearm in Public (city code), Criminal Mischief in the First Degree, Criminal Trespass (with a Firearm), and Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree.

Fields wasn’t lodged in MCDC after his booking for the two Felonies and three Misdemeanors with which he was charged; he was “criminally cited” and released on Pre-Trial Supervision without bail “due to booking restrictions at jail”. However, Fields is required to show up at a future court date.

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