Troubled man, with a hatchet, shot by police

Here’s what closed SE 122nd Avenue, in the Hazelwood neighborhood, for an afternoon and evening …

SE 122^nd Avenue is closed down in outer East Portland, after a man, with a hatchet and knife, confront citizens, and police.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton

A man’s life ended on SE 122nd Avenue, on the afternoon of July 30, as he confronted a guard and police officers while armed with a hatchet.

It began as a “disturbance call”, at 4:22 p.m. that afternoon, and quickly escalated as the armed subject moved south along SE 122nd Avenue.

“Preliminary information provided to dispatch was that a male was attempting to break into a vehicle in the parking lot of the Safeway store,” said Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Public Information Officer Lt. Tina Jones.

Officers point out one of the locations where the suspect was hit with the first less-than-lethal “beanbag”.

That grocery store, which has been closed since August of 2018, is situated on the southwest corner of NE 122nd Avenue and Glisan Street. “When confronted by a security officer, the suspect reportedly displayed an edged weapon,” Lt. Jones said. “Witnesses described the male suspect as being armed with a weapon similar to an axe or hatchet.”

Officers keep an eye on the hatchet that the suspect dropped, after being struck with a beanbag round, at the corner of SE 122^nd Avenue and Ankeny Street; he was found to have been armed with another weapon as well. Inset: PPB image of hatchet recovered from the site.

Police dispatches brought 34 police cruisers into the area and the disturbance moved south along SE 122nd Avenue, passing East Burnside Street, to Ankeny – where officers first shot the suspect with a “beanbag” gun, causing the man to drop the hatchet in the street at that intersection.

Witnesses, including Timothy Allen, told a gaggle of reporters quarantined in the southwest corner of the TriMet MAX Park-and-Ride lot, that he saw a man, running with a hatchet in his hand. “The cops followed him … and shot him with the ‘beanbag’ twice; and the man kept running, but with a limp,” he said.

Officials identify this man, 31-year-old Lane Christopher Martin, as the person who was the instigator of the confrontation. PPB-provided DMV image

That man, later identified as 31-year-old Lane Christopher Martin, a day away from his next birthday, was hit by a “beanbag” charge again, as he limped his way west on SE Ash Street, before wobbling into the Ash Street Courtyard Apartments, halfway between SE 122nd Avenue and the next cross street, SE 119th Avenue.

Some of the apartment complex residents told reporters they saw Martin run into the courtyard, followed by officers.

These police vehicles are parked near the Ash Street Courtyard Apartments, into which suspect Martin had run.

Police say that Martin was also found to be armed with this one-hand-opening Coast LX315 Black Talon Liner Lock knife.

“There were Enhanced Crisis Intervention Team trained officers at the scene during this encounter,” said Lt. Jones. An acting sergeant and officer used “beanbag” guns, but to no avail; another officer, a 12-year veteran, deployed deadly force, she said. “Martin was not associated with the apartment complex where the shooting occurred.”

Officers stand near where the second of two “beanbags” were fired at the suspect, and landed near the curb.

Detectives are asking for the driver of a black Volvo 4-door SUV, which was on NE Davis Street turning onto SE 122nd Avenue at about 4:37 p.m., to contact them. Investigators have information that Martin approached this SUV at the driver’s side while armed with the hatchet.

That driver, or others with video or information of the occurrence, are asked to contact Detective William Winters at 503-823-0466, or at william.winters@portlandoregon.gov; or Detective Anthony Merrill at 503-823-4033, or at Anthony.merrill@portlandoregon.gov.

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