Week #144 Shooting Report | PPB HIRING VIDEO INCLUDED | A man was shot to death in Hazelwood; and a woman and a teen were gunned down at an airport hotel. But, there’s also some good news. Check it out …
Among the many “Shots Fired” calls to which officers are called out, some of them do turn out to be shooting homicides.
Story and photos by David F. Ashton
For those new to East Portland News, or who don’t know why this is the “Week #144 Shooting Report”, a reminder of why this series was started – and why it continues – as at the bottom of the story.
The bad news this week: three people died in shootings. The good news: the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) officially hired 15 officers on March 16.
March 13
Man dies in Hazelwood shooting
Officers start looking for evidence in the Hazelwood neighborhood along residential streets.
On Monday, March 13 at 3:33 a.m., PPB East Precinct officers were dispatched on a “Welfare Check” – looking in on a person reported lying in the street. Arriving near the intersection of SE 141st Avenue and Harrison Street, officers found an adult male who was deceased.
The Portland Police Homicide Unit was brought in to investigate, closing down SE 141st Avenue between Harrison and Division streets; and SE Harrison Street between 140th Avenue and 143rd avenues.
The Multnomah County Medical Examiner identified the shooting homicide victim in this case as 38-year-old Brian Vinge, and police ask for your help in finding his killer. Family-provided image
On Friday, March 17, Portland Police revealed that the victim in this homicide was identified as 38-year-old Brian Vinge. The Medical Examiner confirmed the manner and cause of death – homicide by gunshot wound.
If you have information about this incident, contact Detective Calvin Goldring at Calvin.Goldring@police.portlandoregon.gov 503-823-0256, or Detective Travis Law at Travis.Law@police.portlandoregon.gov 503-823-0395 and reference Case No. 23-65602.
March 15
Gunshots slay two at PDX airport hotel
Police activity is intense near the entrance of the Embassy Suites Hotel, where two die in a shooting. Courtesy KOIN-6 News
In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, March 15, guests staying at the Embassy Suites Hotel, southeast of NE 82nd Way and Airport Way were shaken awake by what sounded like a shootout in the building’s atrium lobby at about 2:30 a.m.
After the shots died away and Port of Portland Police arrived, officers found a deceased man and woman.
Throughout the night, detectives and officers from several agencies investigate the double shooting homicide.
Some of the hotel’s guests, packing out later that morning, told reporters they heard a lot of gunfire, followed by screams. Soon afterward, police began a floor-by-floor, room-by-room search of the building.
While none of the guests reported seeing the shooting, one person said he saw a handgun near a deceased male before police chased him back into his room.
The Port of Portland Police called in the East County Major Crimes Team (EMCT) composed of investigators from PPB, Gresham Police, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police and the Port of Portland.
Adrian Daeshawn Granville, and Teonjenique Elizabeth Lashay Hudson Howard, have been identified as the two victims in this shooting. Family-provided images
On March 16, the Port of Portland Police Department identified the gunshot homicide victims as 24-year-old Teonjenique “TiTi” Elizabeth Lashay Hudson Howard, and 19-year-old Adrian Daeshawn Granville.
In this case, officials have not provided any additional information about the incident, including any information on the suspect or suspects. If you have information about the shooting, and have not already spoken with investigators, contact EMCT Lead Detective Jenn Ritschard through the tip line at 503-926-1506.
March 16
Good news: More PPB officers hired
Here a hopeful sight! 15 PPB officers take their oath of service as they join the Bureau. PPB image
On March 16, PPB Chief Chuck Lovell, City of Portland Commissioner of Police Mayor Ted Wheeler, and other members of the City Council, welcomed 15 new police officers and nine professional staff members to the Bureau.
The Bureau now has 810 sworn members. This includes all ranks from the Chief to the 551 officers. Of those officers, 108 are in training. There are currently 314 patrol officers assigned to precincts.
Watch selected scenes of this hiring ceremony
It was noted that the Portland Police Bureau is building back from its lowest number of sworn members, which was 773 in September 2022. That was the fewest sworn members since 1989.
The lowest number at the rank of officer was in May 2022, when there were 509 out of 609 authorized officers.
Not on the street … yet
While these 15 officers were presented their badge that day, they won’t be hopping patrol cars until they are fully trained and are working by themselves.
The training process for a “new hire” is 18 months, including attending the Basic Police Academy at the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training in Salem, then a PPB Advanced Academy, and finally field training with a coach.
Support staff also added
The Bureau also hired nine professional staff, including Police Records Specialists, two Mental Health Crisis Responders for the “Behavioral Health Unit”, a Training Analyst, a Property Division Public Safety Aide, a Crime Victim Advocate for the Detective Division, and a Police Administrative Support Specialist. PPB also promoted two Police Records Specialists to Police Records Training Coordinators.
Become an officer
The Portland Police Bureau still has sworn vacancies, and continues hiring both lateral and entry-level community police officers. Salary ranges from $75,000 to $107,000 per year, plus pay incentives and benefits paid 95% by the city. Interested? CLICK HERE to learn more.
Why this is the “Week #144 Shooting Report”
Here’s a brief history:
June 9, 2020 is the date that Portland’s Police Commissioner – Mayor Ted Wheeler – announced the disbanding of the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Gun Violence Reduction Team (GVRT). The number of shooting incidents in outer East Portland spiked the next day and nearly tripled in a month – and continued to steadily increase, racking up 892 incidents that year, with more than half of them in outer East Portland.
December 22, 2020 – PPB Chief of Police Chuck Lovell told neighbors that his office had been tasked by Mayor Wheeler’s office make a plan to reduce shootings by Christmas – a plan which was written and presented to the Mayor by that date.
February 19, 2021 – PPB Deputy Chief Chris Davis reveals the Bureau’s new “Enhanced Community Safety Team” (ECST) was tasked to investigate, and not prevent, shootings.
June 4, 2021 – A year after Mayor Wheeler disbanded the GVRT, he announced the formation of the “Focused Intervention Team” (FIT) – and, along with it, the “Community Oversight Group” (COG) to supervise and critique the unit’s staff and activities.
January 19, 2022 – After training, the new Focused Intervention Team officers and command staff roll out for their first night shift based from North Precinct facilities – although most shootings take place in outer East Portland. Nevertheless, there were still 73 shooting homicides throughout 2022.
Fortunately, since the PPB’s ECST and FIT units have gone into action, their officers have slowed the increase in shooting incidents. We’re hopeful these dedicated officers – and the Bureau’s “new hires” – will be able to reduce these potentially deadly crimes further.
© 2023 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News ™
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