Murder at Hazelwood Station puzzles police

Try as they might to prevent it, cops are seeing more – as well as more serious and deadly – crime along the outer east side MAX corridor. Here’s the latest one …

Although the 148th Ave. MAX station was closed, the light rail train continued service along the outer east side route during the April 16 murder investigation.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
The rate of violent crimes committed along outer East Portland’s MAX corridor seems to be accelerating.

Responding to a “shots fired” call at 8:22 pm on April 16, East Precinct officers rushed to the Hazelwood Station Apartments on April 16. The shooting resulted in a death.

Authorities aren’t saying whether or not the victim was a resident or visitor at the Hazelwood Station Apartments on the night he was killed.

When we arrived on-scene, the perimeter around the four-story apartment house, located on the north side of E. Burnside St. facing the MAX station, about a half a block west of NE 148th Avenue, was taped off, as homicide detectives swarmed the area looking for clues.

“Officers arrived and found the body of 22-year-old Christopher John Tillman in a hallway on the third floor of the apartment complex,” confirmed police spokesman Sgt. Brian Schmautz. “The victim appeared to have been shot at least one time, and was deceased when officers arrived.”

Police say this man, Christopher John Tillman,
was identified as the shooting victim.

A man who claimed to live in the building said the victim was shot in the elevator, and crawled out to the commons area on the third floor.

Officials have remained tight-lipped about the case.

“An autopsy conducted by the Multnomah County Medical Examiner concluded that Tillman died of a single gunshot wound,” Schmautz told us. “For investigative reasons, detectives are withholding more specific information about the shooting. Investigators have not developed any suspect information and are currently seeking anyone who may know the victim or had contact with the victim in the hours leading to his death.”

Anyone with information is asked to call Steve Ober at (503) 823-4033 or Detective Jim McCausland at (503) 823 0449.

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