Week #102 Shooting Report | 2 VIDEOS |16 photos | One shooting ends as a murder-by-gunfire investigation. Read about the four (4) major shootings that did take place in our neighborhoods; and, check out our weekly ‘Shots Fired Log’ to see if there were any on your street …
Again crime scene tape goes up in outer East Portland, as Portland Police Bureau officers – and specialty investigation teams – look into a shooting.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
As outer East Portland shootings again increase in frequency this week – which they typically do, in the summertime – Portland’s Commissioner of Police, Mayor Ted Wheeler announces on June 28 a new initiative he calls “Safer Summer PDX”, an “…action plan to prevent and address gun violence over the summer months.”
>> READ ON to learn about this week’s major shooting events here – that includes two (2) shootings on the TriMet MAX line – one of them a homicide. Also, see the “Shots Fired Log” with 35 entries this week. And then, learn why we might be in for a violent summer, even with Mayor Wheeler’s newest shooting-stopping initiative in place.
June 25
Camper shot in Powellhurst-Gilbert
The dead-end street of SE 131st Avenue is closed off, just north of Powell Boulevard, while a shooting is investigated.
It’s unknown how a disagreement began during the early afternoon June 25, but shots were fired in or near a recreational vehicle camped along SE 131st Avenue, just north of SE Powell Boulevard.
PPB East Precinct officers were dispatched there at 2:10 p.m. “At that location, officers found a male shooting victim,” PPB Public Information Officer Sergeant Kevin Allen told East Portland News.
The shooting crime scene is in or around this Winnebago Chieftain motor home.
Officers provided on-the-scene first aid – and the shooting victim was soon taken to a local hospital. “The victim’s injuries are considered to be serious, but are not believed to be life-threatening,” Sgt. Allen reported.
Watch as this shooting is investigated:
At the scene, PPB “Focused Intervention Team” (FIT) members were collecting evidence on this dead-end street while officers searched the area for the suspected shooter. An area of focus was westward on SE Powell Boulevard, from 128th Avenue.
Members of the PPB’s FIT squad investigate this shooting.
Although an officer accompanied the shooting victim to the hospital, apparently the patient provided little information about the suspect.
“The suspect left the scene, and has not yet been located; and the PPB’s Enhanced Community Safety Team (ECST) is following up on this shooting,” Sgt. Allen said.
This shooting incident is Case No. 22-169706.
June 25
Suspect arrested in Centennial apartment shooting
Officers look for evidence around the outside of an apartment complex where shots were fired.
Later, as the sun was setting, shooting occurred at the Candalaria Apartments, 923 SE 162nd Avenue, in the Centennial neighborhood.
A total of 17 PPB East Precinct officers gathered there at 9:37 p.m. – entering the parking lot between buildings, and parking around the perimeter of the complex.
A PPB detective, with a bag of evidence in hand, walks deep into the apartment complex.
Some officers entered and exited the driveway into the heart of the apartment complex. Others searched around the outside, looking for evidence with flashlights.
About 11 p.m. there was a sudden a mass exit of officers and investigators, after an arrest was made.
After an arrest is made, officers and detectives leave the scene.
“A suspect fired rounds into an apartment at that location,” was the information received from PPB Public Information Officer Lt. Nathan Sheppard. “There were no known injuries. The suspect was located nearby, detained, and then arrested.”
Arrested on a variety of charges was 29-year-old Deandre Devonta Thompson. CLICK HERE to see why you are not permitted to see his booking photo.
29-year-old Deandre Devonta Thompson was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC) early on June 26, at 1:49 a.m. on Felony charges ranging from Attempted Murder in the Second Degree-Domestic Violence, to Attempted Assault in the First Degree, to several Felony weapons charges, to five Misdemeanor counts of Reckless Endangerment.
Thompson is also being held on a no-bail Parole Violation charge. He remains behind bars in the MCDC.
This is Case No. 22-169945.
June 26
Security guard shot by man who grabbed his gun
Officers are called to a Powellhurst-Gilbert night club when a security officer is shot – with his own gun.
About closing time, early on Sunday, June 26, a scuffle at the Scarlet Lounge at 12646 SE Division Street led to a uniformed, private security guard being shot in the chest. Fortunately, his ballistic vest prevented the bullet from injuring him.
PPB East Precinct officers who responded to the 2:07 a.m. dispatch went to a “gentlemen’s club” in the Powellhurst-Gilbert neighborhood and there found the victim, but determined that he had no observable injury, and had him taken to a local hospital by ambulance for evaluation.
Officers learned from the victim that he’d asked the suspect to leave the private property when the suspect suddenly lunged for his holstered firearm. A scuffle ensued and the suspect grabbed the guard’s weapon from the holster.
The security guard’s ballistic vest lies on the ground next his vehicle after he’s shot.
During the struggle, the security guard was able to press the button on his gun that releases the bullet magazine, causing it to fall to the ground. But, the suspect shot the victim with the one remaining chambered round.
“The suspect ran off and has not yet been located,” a PPB official commented.
The PPB’s FIT members came and assisted with the investigation. This is Case No. 22-170159.
July 1
Fracas at Gresham MAX station leads to a shooting that turns into a murder investigation
This composed panorama image shows where a man was shot on the westbound TriMet MAX Light Rail Blue Line on East Burnside Street at 161st Avenue.
A block east of the Glenfair neighborhood, just over the Portland/Gresham city line, shots rang out just before dawn on the first day of July — on the TriMet MAX Light Rail Blue Line platform on East Burnside Street at 161st Avenue.
One man fell to the ground – after which the gunman walked away and disappeared into the neighborhood.
Gresham Police Department (GPD) officers were dispatched to the scene at 5:07 a.m. and were joined by those with Portland Police.
As the sun comes up, GPD officers protect the scene of this incident.
The MAX stations at this intersection are closed during the investigation; note that this westbound train from Gresham to Gateway is traveling on eastbound tracks.
The day after the shooting a GPD spokesperson reported,”Officers responded to reports of the shooting just after 5:00 a.m. and quickly located the victim.
“He was rushed to an area hospital and later died,” the spokesperson noted.
Watch, as what started as a shooting investigation became a homicide inquiry for Gresham Police:
The official added that the suspected shooter fled prior to police arrival and is only described at this time as a man in his late teens to early twenties.
“Detectives are working to determine what led to the shooting and if there was any identifiable connection between the two parties,” the GPD spokesperson said.
The case is being investigated by the East County Major Crimes Team as a homicide.
GPD Investigations Unit staff document the crime scene; personal property, including a large blue gym bag, are in the paper sacks.
This is Gresham Police Case No. 22-24252; if you have information to provide about this shooting, email it to GPD@GreshamOregon.gov.
July 1
Another shooting on the MAX Blue Line
Further to the west of an earlier shooting call on July 1, at the TriMet MAX Light Rail Blue Line on East Burnside Street at the 148th Avenue station, officers are called to look into another shooting, just hours later, on the same day.
About seven hours after the shooting at the Gresham TriMet MAX Light Rail Blue Line station, PPB officers were dispatched on July 1 at 1:58 p.m. to the station at 148th Avenue, only 0.7 mile west the earlier shooting incident.
Even less is known about this one. “We do know that a victim was shot,” the PPB’s Sgt. Allen told East Portland News. “Preliminary information is that the victim’s injuries are non-life-threatening, but the victim was transported to a hospital for assessment and treatment.”
Officers locate spent bullet shell casings and mark them for evidence.
Again, there were no reports of an immediate arrest; but ECST officers are investigating.
“I don’t have any information about it being connected to any other incident,” Sgt. Allen added.
If you have information that will help solve this shooting, it’s Case No. 22-175703.
Additional major shootings, elsewhere
Outside of our area, PPB officers and members of the FIT and ECST units investigated these two “Shooting-with Weapon” incidents:
June 23 at 10:31 p.m. – Shooting in Old Town in the 200 block of SW Ankeny Street. Case No. 22-168273
June 28 at 3:06 p.m. – Gresham shooting on West Powell Boulevard at Duniway Avenue. Case No. 22-23865
If you have information about any of these shootings, email it to crimetips@portlandoregon.gov – and be sure to include the Case Number.
~ SHOTS FIRED LOG ~
This week, police dispatchers logged 35 “Shots Fired” calls in our area. Again, when there are few shootings in outer East Portland, there is a correspondingly higher numbers of such calls in other districts. Sometimes officers find evidence of shooting at these calls, sometimes they do not.
June 22
22-167123 06/22/2022 at 18:04:52 2600 Block of SE 136TH AVE
22-167247 06/22/2022 at 21:42:44 6800 Block of NE WYGANT ST
22-167300 06/22/2022 at 22:56:14 SE 64TH AVE / SE CLATSOP ST
June 23
22-167443 06/23/2022 at 02:22:01 9100 Block of NE IRVING ST
22-025537 06/23/2022 at 10:50:57 4700 Block of SE 174TH AVE
22-168244 06/23/2022 at 21:44:40 1300 Block of NE 111TH AVE
22-025633 06/23/2022 at 23:06:52 5800 Block of SE JENNE RD
22-168298 06/23/2022 at 23:08:20 NE CULLY BLVD/KILLINGSWORTH ST
22-168333 06/23/2022 at 23:54:24 100 Block of NE 147TH AVE
June 24
22-168499 06/24/2022 at 04:57:54 5100 Block of SE 62ND AVE
22-169196 06/24/2022 at 22:39:28 3600 Block of NE 162ND AVE
June 25
22-169344 06/25/2022 at 01:44:20 SE 113TH AVE / E BURNSIDE ST
22-169357 06/25/2022 at 02:06:39 17200 Block of SE ALDER ST
22-023382 06/25/2022 at 02:09:38 17700 Block of E BURNSIDE ST
22-169519 06/25/2022 at 07:56:40 4800 Block of SE 136TH AVE
22-169977 06/25/2022 at 22:33:16 7200 Block of SE WOODSTOCK BLVD
June 26
22-170123 06/26/2022 at 01:20:00 SE 91ST AVE / SE FOSTER RD
22-170138 06/26/2022 at 01:34:43 I205 FWY / NE AIRPORT WAY
22-170143 06/26/2022 at 01:43:11 13300 Block of SE PINE ST
22-170154 06/26/2022 at 02:04:28 4600 Block of SE 75TH AVE
22-170155 06/26/2022 at 02:16:21 7500 Block of SE HENRY ST
22-023578 06/26/2022 at 17:49:53 SE 169TH AVE / SE STARK ST
22-170911 06/26/2022 at 22:47:09 NE 122ND AVE / E BURNSIDE ST
22-170941 06/26/2022 at 23:17:59 SE 160TH AVE / SE STARK ST
22-170967 06/26/2022 at 23:42:08 4000 Block of NE 69TH AVE
June 27
22-171005 06/27/2022 at 00:10:12 300 Block of NE 131ST PL
22-171263 06/27/2022 at 07:29:13 SE 153RD AVE / SE DIVISION ST
June 28
22-172140 06/28/2022 at 03:29:31 6800 Block of SE 52ND AVE
22-172148 06/28/2022 at 03:39:45 14700 Block of NE FLANDERS ST
22-026303 06/28/2022 at 12:12:58 SE JENNE RD / SE CIRCLE AVE
22-172518 06/28/2022 at 13:09:39 17600 Block of NE AIRPORT WAY
22-172972 06/28/2022 at 22:05:27 11600 Block of SE DIVISION ST
22-173050 06/28/2022 at 23:30:11 3100 Block of NE 103RD PL
22-173054 06/28/2022 at 23:32:07 3200 Block of NE 80TH AVE
June 29 [+8 calls outside our area]
22-173780 06/29/2022 at 16:56:04 NE SISKIYOU ST / NE 162ND AVE
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Summer ‘Shooting Season’ begins with fewer cops
As of today, July 1, 2022, 73 more members of the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) will be eligible to retire.
Although Portland’s Police Commissioner, Mayor Ted Wheeler, held several press conferences earlier this year at which he talked about the low level of staffing in the Police Bureau, and the lack of progress in hiring personnel, he hadn’t had much to say on the topic – until June 30.
That’s when Wheeler announced that the Portland City Council had approved a total of $500,000 for Police Bureau “hiring bonuses”. That will fund a $25,000 signing bonus for “lateral officers” (certified officers wooed away from other police agencies), and $3,000 to $5,000 bonuses for Public Safety Support Specialists joining the Portland Police Bureau.
“Safer Summer PDX will partner with Bureaus to collaborate on ‘place-based strategies’ to combat gun violence,” Wheeler said as he rolled out his new plan. Hopefully, his initiative will help make this summer safer from violent people with guns – even before any new police officers have been trained, oriented, and put on the job.
© 2022 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™
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