It seems that the accused in this case will face gunfire murder charges in other shootings, in addition to the February 2 fatal shooting in the Hazelwood neighborhood …
In mid-afternoon of Wednesday, February 2, SE Stark Street in outer East Portland was closed off while Portland Police Bureau officers investigated a shooting homicide.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
In the Week #82 Shooting Report, East Portland News reported on three gunshot murders.
It appears that one of those homicides – a daytime shooting on SE Stark Street on February 2 — has been solved. A suspect has been identified, arrested, and indicted for the crime.
A man died in this shooting; another was wounded further east along Stark Street at 122nd Avenue.
In fact, on March 29, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced that 49-year-old Joseph Kelly Banks had been arrested, and arraigned on fifteen Felony charges stemming from several shootings – three of which led to fatalities – between January 2nd and March 1st of this year.
Why no MCDC booking photo? CLICK HERE.
According to official records, Banks was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC) on Wednesday, March 2, at 6:47 p.m., on a variety of Felony charges.
Officials say this man, Jeff Ramirez, was killed in the February 2nd vehicle-to-vehicle shooting. Family provided image
The person murdered on February 2 in the Hazelwood neighborhood was 35-year-old Jeff Ramirez. Stark Street, a block east of Ventura Park, was closed for hours while the investigation was underway.
According to court documents, Banks is alleged to have also shot and killed 35-year-old Isaiah Hurst on North Vancouver Avenue and Morgan Street on January 2, and he’s also charged with the shooting death of 55-year-old Mark Johnson on March 1st near Dawson Park.
In court, the accysed – 49-year-old Joseph Kelly Banks – is arraigned, and enters a “not guilty” plea. Image courtesy of KOIN-TV News 6
In the Multnomah County Grand Jury indictment, filed on March 28, Banks is also charged with three counts of attempted murder in the second degree with a firearm; as well as charges of first-degree assault and second-degree assault in shootings in which the victims survived.
Banks entered a not guilty plea in court on January 29. Banks is currently in custody at the MCDC and is being held without bail.
“A charging document is only an accusation of a crime. Banks is innocent unless and until proven guilty,” reminded Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office Communications Director Elisabeth Shepard.
© 2022 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™