Police became the targets Thursday in Portland, Oregon, after a fatal shooting that some accounts say took down a man involved in stabbing another person.
Portland police said officers were sent to a motel for “a welfare check on a white adult male dressed in all black.”
“After officers arrived with paramedics, they encountered a man matching that description and an officer involved shooting took place,” the agency said in a news release.
The shooting victim later died.
As police were investigating the incident “a group gathered at the crime scene and began yelling, throwing items at officers, and attempting to interfere with the investigation,” police said in the release.
“One officer’s baton was grabbed and she was being pulled toward the crowd. Other officers quickly intervened,” police added.
A crowd has formed at the officer involved shooting scene. Some participants have thrown objects and tried to enter the closed area. An officer’s baton was grabbed by someone and when another officer intervened, the officer was sprayed with a chemical. pic.twitter.com/eHxcBXTrOg
— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) June 25, 2021
“Someone from the crowd pepper sprayed an officer. At least one police vehicle’s tires were punctured and a window broken. Police officers citywide were called to assist with scene security,” police said in the release.
Things are heating up here on the ground, more and more outraged community members are arriving on scene, outraged that Portland Police have murdered another person having a mental heal crisis (RN, it’s unconfirmed they are deceased) pic.twitter.com/Glqn8gYhw3
— Grace Morgan (@gravemorgan) June 25, 2021
Contrary to the conclusions many jumped to, an unnamed witness to the shooting told KOIN-TV that a fight had taken place between two men that led to one stabbing the other. The witness said police shot the man who stabbed the second man.
KATU-TV, meanwhile, relayed the account of an unnamed witness who said the shooting followed a stabbing incident in which the man who was shot had attacked another person.
A different version of events was reported by The Oregonian, which attributed its information to “sources with knowledge of the shooting who were not authorized to speak publicly about it.”
According to this account, police had been in dialog with the man who was shot. Police had offered to get the man to a hospital, but wanted to check him for weapons prior to transport, this account said.
The man who was shot allegedly attacked an officer with a screwdriver, according to The Oregonian’s sources.
Kalli Temple, who lives across the street, told The Oregonian that police appeared to be trying to get the weapon away from the man, who ran away. An officer then opened fire, striking the man, she said.
Police said the man who was shot was taken by ambulance to a hospital, but died there.
“We are early in this investigation. Preliminary information suggests our officer encountered a very difficult and dynamic situation that no officer wants to face,” Chief Chuck Lovell said.
“I want to thank all our members who responded to the scene as well as those who were out taking emergency calls in the city. I’m thankful and proud of their efforts,” he added.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
