Portlanders take precautions to avoid being attacked in response to rising crime
Some Portland residents worry about being physically attacked while walking in the city or encountering someone dealing with mental health or drug issues.
A group of people at a Portland, Oregon, sports bar thwarted a reported armed robbery by pinning the suspect to the ground until police arrived, according to authorities.
"I was shocked, but it’s not surprising," Alexis Carrillo, who manages a smoke shop across the street from Be Van Sports Bar, told KGW. "They did what they had to do, you know — good thing there was people there to do that."
Police responded to Be Van Sports Bar at about 12:30 a.m. Saturday to a report of a robbery with a gun. When the police arrived, they found a group of people had already subdued the suspect.
It is unclear if the Portlanders who pinned the suspect to the ground were patrons or employees of the sports bar, according to KGW.
Be Van Sports Bar in Portland, Oregon. (Google Maps )
Police arrested the unnamed suspect and took him to a local hospital. A police spokesman said the suspect "clearly needed medical attention." He is facing a second-degree robbery charge, KGW reported.
Carrillo described that the scene is what business owners in the Parkrose neighborhood have to brace for, explaining he has repeatedly told people to leave the Sandy Smoke Shop if they enter the store with a weapon.
"There’s a lot of people coming to the store with knives and bats and stuff. I got to kick them out of the store while I’m here and who knows what happens when I’m not here at night," Carrillo said.
Other businesses in the area told the outlet that store owners will keep weapons behind their counters and have banded together with other business owners to share security footage and help protect each other from potential crimes.
Portland Police Department patrol vehicle. (Portland Police Department)
"Yeah, that’s kind of how we roll," said Carrillo. "It’s a little scary 'cause you never know what could happen — you just got to deal with it."
PORTLAND, THE SITE OF MASSIVE GEORGE FLOYD PROTESTS, HAS BEEN RAVAGED BY VIOLENT CRIME SINCE
Stores across the city have reported brazen shoplifting incidents and break-ins in recent months. One clothing store, Rains PDX, announced this month it was permanently closing after a string of break-ins.
Portland, Oregon, skyline (David Papazian via Getty Images)
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"Our city is in peril," a printed note posted on Rains PDX store reads, according to KATU2. "Small businesses (and large) cannot sustain doing business, in our city’s current state. We have no protection, or recourse, against the criminal behavior that goes unpunished. Do not be fooled into thinking that insurance companies cover losses. We have sustained 15 break-ins … we have not received any financial reimbursement since the 3rd."
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