PORTLAND, Ore. – A Portland police pursuit of a carjacking suspect ended with officers fatally shooting the man inside a homeless shelter, but authorities said Sunday it was unclear if he was armed at the time.
While responding to a report of a crash Saturday night, Portland officers learned that a car involved had been stolen in a carjacking earlier in the day, said police spokesman Sgt. Chris Burley.
Police found the man they believed to be the driver inside the nearby Cityteam Ministries Portland Shelter in southeast Portland. Officers received reports the man might be armed, Burley said. But he said it has not yet been determined if he had a weapon at the time of the shooting, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Police did not say what prompted officers to shoot.
"As officers contacted the adult male suspect, shots were fired," police said in a press release. "Officers immediately requested emergency medical personnel respond to the scene."
Emergency responders pronounced the suspect dead at the scene.
No officers or bystanders were injured.
John Terrio, who was in the area at the time of the shooting, said police arrived in force, some carrying rifles. They asked if anyone had seen a man in a red jacket, he said, then went inside the shelter. Terrio said he then heard about eight shots.
An Alcoholics Anonymous meeting had just begun at the time of the shooting, said Cityteam Portland Executive Director Mike Giering.
The identity of the suspect will be released at a later time. So far, there was no evidence the man was associated with the shelter.
The identities of the officers involved in the shooting will be released on Sunday, police said. Per policy, the involved officers will remain on paid administrative leave until the completion of the investigation.
Streets in the area were closed for several hours as homicide detectives and the police bureau's internal affairs division investigated. Evidence will eventually be presented before a grand jury, as is standard in police shootings.
Three buses were parked nearby to house a large number of witnesses and police.
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Information from: The Oregonian/OregonLive, http://www.oregonlive.com
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