Photo: KATU
Portland's Police Chief Danielle Outlaw is asking for time to complete the investigation into the fatal officer involved shooting Saturday night in Portland.
"The Portland Police Bureau values human life and accepts the authority to use lethal force with great reverence," said Chief Outlaw. “I am aware a video was taken of this incident by a community member and that video was posted to the internet. Please be reminded that deadly force investigations are extremely complex and take time. The Police Bureau is committed to transparency and will ensure the entire investigation is released in a timely manner that does not impact the integrity of the investigation."
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler issued the following statement:
“Last night officers responded to multiple calls for service regarding a suspect that ultimately ended in an officer involved shooting. The loss of a life is always tragic. My priority is to discover the facts and circumstances regarding this incident. Already, there are those who want to immediately define what happened. It would be highly irresponsible for me to participate in speculation at this time. I urge us all to allow investigators to do their work, to uncover the facts, and to report on their findings.”
Portland Police released the following information on the shooting:
On Saturday, April 7, 2018, at 7:30 p.m., Central Precinct, Transit Division, and Gang Enforcement Team officers responded to the report of a crashed stolen vehicle at Southeast Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard and Southeast Stark Street.
As officers responded to the crashed vehicle, they learned the driver of the vehicle fled. Information was also broadcast that East Precinct officers had taken a report that the crashed vehicle had reportedly been taken by force from the 7500 block of Southeast Knight Street at 4:35 p.m on Saturday.
When officers arrived in the area they searched for the suspect that fled the scene of the crash. During the search, officers located the suspect inside the Cityteam Ministries Portland Shelter, located at 526 Southeast Grand Avenue. As officers contacted the adult male suspect, shots were fired. Officers immediately requested emergency medical personnel respond to the scene. Once on scene, emergency medical responders determined the suspect was deceased.
Portland Police Homicide Detectives, assisted by the East County Major Crimes Team and Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office are continuing this shooting investigation.
The investigation is in its early stages and additional information will be released as the investigation continues and more information is learned.
The identity of the suspect will be released at a later time. The involved officers' identities will be released on Sunday. Per policy, the involved officers will remain on paid administrative leave until the completion of the investigation and Grand Jury.
Following the Grand Jury, the Bureau may release additional information as appropriate. The officers will be interviewed by investigators within 48 hours.
As part of the use of force review process, the Bureau will conduct an internal review of the entire incident and the case will go before the Police Review Board (PRB), which is comprised of community members, Bureau members and representatives from the Independent Police Review Division.