Ore. Firefighters Help Cops Remove Body From Roof
Source The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.
Jan. 25--Portland firefighters carried the body of a man down a ladder from the top of the elevator shaft onto the roof of a parking garage at Southwest Fourth Avenue and Morrison about 10:15 a.m.
The man had been shot dead earlier this morning during an encounter with Portland Police officers. The man called 9-1-1 at 3:15 a.m. to report that he had committed a robbery and would soon jump from the roof of the parking garage.
Officers arrived and talked with the man and called member of the bureau's Crisis Negotiation Team and Project Respond mental health experts to respond to assist. But before the crisis workers arrived, two officers fired shots at the man.
The man, who police said was armed, dropped from view behind a ledge. Sgt. Pete Simpson, a police spokesman, said it was not immediately clear whether the man had been shot, and police feared the man might be "lying in wait" on the roof for police. Officers eventually used fire bureau ladders to reach the man, only to find he was dead.
Simpson this morning said he could not release what type of weapon the man had, citing the continuing investigation.
The top floor of the garage remains closed. Police have red tape cordoning off most of the top floor. Five marked patrol cars remain, two on the north side of the roof.
At least 9 yellow evidence markers remained on the top level of the parking garage.
The dead man was wearing a dark sweatshirt, jeans and work boots.
Mayor Sam Adams, who serves as police commissioner, released a statement:
"This morning, I visited the scene of an officer-involved shooting at a parking garage at SW 4th and Morrison. Police Chief Mike Reese briefed me on the preliminary shooting details. There is more work to be done on the investigation into the circumstances and details of this incident, including a grand jury proceeding. As the Police Bureau does with any investigation, we will look for opportunities to learn from this incident.
Soon Young Ko, owner of Downtown Cleaner and Tailors at the base of the SmartPark garage at Southwest Alder and Third Avenue, said she awakened this morning and saw her business flash on the TV news.
"They showed my store. I thought 'Oh my God, what happened?' " Ko recounted.
Her daughter got on their computer and realized police had the garage surrounded. They drove downtown, but had to wait about two blocks away. That's when she realized the police activity involved the garage, not her business.
"We've been in business here almost 20 years. This is the first time, a dangerous problem," Ko said.
They ended up opening their business about two and a half hours late.
Darcia Krause, who parked in the garage this morning, was unaware of what had occurred. But she said she was struck by how empty it was.
"It was a ghost town," Krause said.
A regular at the garage, Krause said she remembered a body flying by her about 15 to 20 years ago as she was driving down the garage. She said usually the biggest problem is people urinating in the elevators.
Portland homicide detectives are continuing to investigate. Police said they expect to release more information later this afternoon.
This morning's shooting is the first officer-involved shooting since Portland Office Dane Reister mistakenly loaded his bean-bag shotgun with lethal rounds and seriously wounded William Kyle Monroe in Southwest Portland on June 30. Reister -- the first officer to be indicted for his on-duty use of force -- has pleaded not guilty to third-degree and fourth-degree assault and negligent wounding in that shooting.
The last fatal officer-involved shooting occurred Jan. 2, 2011 in Southeast Portland. Thomas Higginbotham, 67, was shot by Portland police when he advanced on two officers while holding a knife. Officers Jason Lile and Larry Wingfield responded to the former Lucky Car Wash near Southeast 82nd Avenue and Powell Boulevard on reports that a security guard had been threatened. Higginbotham walked out of an inner room at the vacant carwash holding a knife. One of the officers fired a Taser, then both officers fired their weapons after Higginbotham continued to approach. A grand jury found no criminal wrongdoing.
The U.S. Department of Justice is currently investigating whether Portland police use of force is excessive, particularly involving people suffering from mental illness.
Maxine Bernstein
Copyright 2012 - The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.
