Tag: Portland Police

Crime

Police Catch Suspected Christmas Hit-and-run Driver

David Wayne Becker was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver on December 25th, 2023, near SE Stark Street and 106th Avenue. On January 31st, the U.S. Marshals Service arrested the 37-year-old suspected driver in Vancouver, Washington. Nationally, an increasing number of drivers flee the scene of a crash. However, as indicated by this recent arrest, Police can still hold people accountable even after they leave the area.

On Christmas morning, an off-duty Portland Police Officer discovered Becker on SE Stark Street suffering injuries from an apparent vehicle collision with a pedestrian. The off-duty officer contacted emergency services at approximately 12:19 a.m. and provided medical aid to the victim until an ambulance arrived. Paramedics transported the 63-year-old Becker to a local hospital, but he was later declared deceased. A nearby camera captured an image of a red Dodge Ram with a broken driver’s side headlight assembly and damage to the front driver’s side corner from the collision.

Security footage of red Dodge Ram involved in the crash. Image provided by Portland Police

Police shared the image of the suspect’s vehicle on January 2nd and asked for the public’s assistance in identifying the driver. On January 12th, a Multnomah County Grand Jury returned a four-count indictment against the suspect, charging him with Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver Resulting in Death, Attempt to Elude Police, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, and Reckless Driving. With the help of the U.S. Marshals Service and the Vancouver Police Department, authorities took the suspect and his red Dodge Ram into custody.

According to a AAA Study, hit-and-run deaths in the U.S. have increased an average of 7.2 percent each year since 2009. Portland is also seeing an increase in fatal crashes and people fleeing the scene. At approximately 2:17 a.m. on February 5th, Portland Police officers responded to another pedestrian hit-and-run fatality near the intersection of SE 82nd Avenue and Flavel Street. Portland Police do not capture all drivers who fail to remain at the crash site. However, the Major Crash Team and Criminalists from the Forensic Evidence Division are regrettably practiced at gathering evidence from fatal crashes, aiding in the apprehension of drivers who flee the scene.

Preventing fatal crashes is the primary goal of traffic safety officials and law enforcement. However, holding people accountable for their involvement in a collision is essential in deterring reckless behavior. Portland Police and the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office collaborate on crash investigations and are actively working on convicting more hit-and-run drivers. Prosecution alone will not make streets safer, but increasing driver accountability is necessary to reduce crash fatalities.

Update: Portland Police arrested a suspect involved in the hit-and-run crash at SE 82nd Avenue and SE Flavel Street. Officers booked the 26-year-old Portland resident into the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of Criminally Negligent Homicide, Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver (Death), and Tampering with Evidence. Investigators determined the suspect was speeding through a work zone when he struck the pedestrian crossing SE 82nd Avenue. 

By

Jacob Loeb

Community, Infrastructure

First Winter Storm of 2024 Causes Damage

A winter storm that began on Friday night started slow but delivered bitter-cold temperatures and heavy winds, toppling trees and damaging utility lines. As of Sunday night, many residents suffering from an outage have regained power, but trees continue to fall as the frozen ground shows no signs of thawing and winds pick up again. Meteorologists predicted up to eight inches of snow on Saturday. However, the winds and cold did more to disrupt travel than the few inches of precipitation that fell. Whole trees and falling limbs snapped power lines and uprooted gas lines, sending repair crews across the Portland Metro area.

On Saturday, a downed tree by Ascension Catholic Church at 743 SE 76th Avenue damaged power lines, cutting service to homes and traffic lights. The traffic signals for SE Stark and Washington Streets at SE 76th Avenue fell dark, and crews closed SE 76th from SE Washington to Yamhill Street. This tree fell across the road, landing on a Portland Police vehicle and the church’s fence. Officers were not inside this patrol car when the tree fell, and no injuries were reported, according to Portland Police. Crews worked on this repair overnight, returning service to most affected customers on Sunday.

Also, on Saturday, crews with NW Natural closed part of NE 74th Avenue due to a downed tree that uprooted a gas line. Like the SE 76th Avenue tree, the rootball broke free of the frozen ground, sending the tree across the roadway. People saw similar damage throughout Portland, with some Montavilla residents suffering damage to their homes by falling trees.

Currently, the Fred Meyer Grocery store at 6615 NE Glisan Street is without utility power but operating on standby generators. Customers can still shop but with limited departments open and dim light. Most Montavilla Pacific Power Customers have power restored, but over 100 PGE customers in the neighborhood still show a lack of power on the outage map. Utility workers have managed to reconnect thousands of customers. However, winds are returning, and the prolonged low temperatures are freezing pipes. More winter weather is coming, but forecasting models show a warming coming in the latter half of the week. Until then, people should remain prepared for future outages. 

By

Jacob Loeb

Some images in this article were taken by readers and given to Montavilla News to use with their permission.

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Community, Crime

Fatal Crash on 82nd at E Burnside

On October 21st, Portland’s 53rd traffic-related fatality of this year occurred at E Burnside Street at NE 82nd Avenue. At 11:37 p.m., a minivan traveling north on SE 82nd Avenue left the roadway, killing a pedestrian and colliding with traffic signal equipment. The vehicle suffered heavy damage after striking a utility pole, and an AMR ambulance transported the driver to an area hospital with life-threatening injuries. Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) crews working to restore signal function to the intersection have reduced through traffic to a single lane in each direction.

PBOT crews replacing signal control box to the right, dents on pole seen at the left

The northbound minivan traveling on SE 82nd Avenue crossed over the center turn lane and two opposing traffic lanes, colliding with a traffic light control cabinet and a heavy steel signal pole on the southwest corner, spinning around and shearing off a metal signpost. The Portland Police Traffic Division’s Major Crash Team has not yet indicated where the pedestrian was located when struck by the vehicle. The complete destruction of the signal cabinet and denting of the pole suggests the minivan was likely traveling at speeds above the posted limit of 30 miles per hour.

Traffic sign seen bent and sheared-off

Pedestrian death along 82nd Avenue has become increasingly common in Montavilla. A man in a wheelchair died following a hit-and-run crash in April at NE 82nd Avenue and NE Glisan Street. PBOT is currently working on safety improvements to 82nd Avenue, and they will be installing speed safety cameras at this intersection next year.

Article and phots by

Jacob Loeb

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Crime

Significant Police Response in Montavilla

On August 9th, Portland Police issued a shelter-in-place order in Montavilla as they attempted to apprehend the person suspected of threatening people with a firearm. Police initially received a call at 12:19 p.m. reporting a suspicious person with a weapon at SE 82nd Avenue and Ash Street. That situation quickly escalated to a substantial police response involving armored vehicles and tactical officers. The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) eventually took a suspect into custody without injury and recovered a gun as evidence.

According to Police, arriving officers located the man suspected of brandishing a weapon. However, he refused to comply with officers, taking off on foot. Around 1 p.m., police officers confronted the person near SE 81st and Washington Street observing what they believed was a gun. Assisting PPB members created a six-block perimeter around the suspect bordered by SE Stark Street, SE 82nd Avenue, SE Morrison Street, and SE 80th Avenue. PPB utilized the public safety alert system to issue a shelter-in-place order for the immediate area as a precaution.

Image from Portland Maps with MV News illustrations showing Police perimeter in red

Because Police believed the suspect had a firearm and was non-compliant, the Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT) responded to the incident with assistance from PPB’s Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT). A neighbor near the incident and home at the time heard the event. They described 20 to 30 minutes of police instruction to the suspect that went partially obeyed. Police instructed the individual not to reach for his weapon. The person complied by keeping his hands on his head. However, subsequent requests were not followed, preventing officers from safely approaching the suspect. Eventually, he followed all commands, and Police took the person into custody without physical injury.

This Police response was significant in scope and received substantial attention from people in the area. Some observers remarked that the show of force was unnecessary. However, the PPB has established procedures to address situations where suspects are armed, and policies also prevent support from alternative response divisions like the Portland Street Response when a weapon is involved. Even if police actions seemed larger than necessary to some, the process PPB followed did result in a none violent apprehension of a potentially armed individual.

By

Jacob Loeb

Correction: An earlier version of this article had the date as August 19th instead of August 9th.

Community

Police Staffing Traffic Division

On May 9th, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) announced it would partially re-institute the Traffic Division. In 2021, Chief Chuck Lovell transferred officers to precincts to answer 911 emergency calls during a police shortage, and the division has remained mostly unstaffed until now. In this limited iteration of traffic-focused policing, two sergeants, ten motorcycle officers, and two car-based officers will work seven days a week from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m.

Chief Lovell acknowledges a steep increase in fatal crashes since transferring officers from the Traffic Division. Although BBP remains understaffed and continues to face an increased 911 call volume, the public’s desire for traffic enforcement has prompted this slight shift in priority. 2022 logged 68 fatal crashes, with nearly half involving pedestrians. On April 28th, Montavilla was the site of a deadly vehicle-pedestrian crash involving a person in a wheelchair. The early morning incident at NE 82nd Avenue and Glisan Street took the life of someone thought to be in a crosswalk. PPB feels having officers patrolling High-crash Corridors during the evening hours should help curb reckless and impaired driving, reducing the number of deadly crashes.

The current Traffic Division is smaller than pre-pandemic levels and will focus on reducing dangerous driving behaviors, including Driving Under the Influence of Intoxicants (DUII) detection and investigation. Traffic officers will also support traffic-related calls for service, investigating severe and fatal injury crashes. This limited return to enforcement may strike a balance between discouraging the most dangerous drivers from harmful behavior and not over-policing an often profiled population. Expect more officers on the streets pulling over motorists and issuing warnings or citations.

By

Jacob Loeb

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Business Relocating, Community, Demolition

PGF Arsonist Apprehended

The same week that demolition crews finished tearing down the fire-damaged building at 408 SE 79th Ave, Portland Police apprehended the person they believe set that building ablaze. The early morning fire from April 19th consumed the two-story building that housed the Portland Garment Factory, forcing that business to close until they can relocate. The arrest of the accused arsonist should alleviate community concern over a repeated incident.

On June 9th, Portland Police took a 48-year-old woman into custody on charges of second-degree arson and reckless burning related to the April 19th incident. Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) said an executed search warrant yielded evidence connecting the suspect to the fire. According to a June 10th Willamette Week story, investigators received a tip from a community member who had witnessed the accused’s activity near the fire. In addition, that same witness identified the person in the surveillance video of the incident by her clothing and gait.

Although authorities have found a suspect in the incident, the damage caused by that fire is significant. Montavilla now has a vacant lot where a historic building once stood, and a business lost everything overnight. Fortunately, Portland Garment Factory will reopen in a new location, thanks in part to a GoFundMe campaign that collected over $118,000. Eventually, a new building will replace the one lost, and the damage suffered in the community will fade from memory. Until then, residents can consider the incident resolved and look to better events in the future.

UPDATE – Earlier today, the editor took this article offline while investigating a reported error. A reader said that the accused person was no longer a suspect and released. However, an official confirmed that the person arrested for this crime was released on pretrial supervision. The DA is proceeding with the grand jury.

Montavilla News will not publish the accused person’s name until convicted.

Community, Services

Portland Street Response Expands to Montavilla

This month, Portland Street Response (PSR) expanded its boundaries beyond the Lents neighborhood. Starting April 1st, PSR teams will offer a non-police response to a larger area that includes the eastern half of Montavilla. With the expanded service area comes a broader service scope that now includes public spaces inside buildings.

The PSR program officially launched in late February with a new approach to specific emergency calls. The program diverts non-violent calls involving people experiencing houselessness or behavioral and mental health issues to specialists equipped to resolve those situations. At launch, the program only addressed incidents occurring outdoors and did not have staff enter buildings. The recent changes permit the teams to enter publicly accessible spaces such as a business, store, or a public lobby. PSR is not responding to calls within a private residence.

Initially, the PSR program used Portland Fire & Rescue’s boundary system called Fire Management Areas (FMA) to assign calls to their team members. Within a month, it became apparent that they missed calls outside the FMA that PSR had the capacity to address. As a test, PSR will switch to using the Portland Police Bureau’s police district areas to determine their response zone. That change has lead to the increased service area that now includes Montavilla from 82nd Ave to I205.

Dispatchers determine what calls are assigned to fire, police, and PSR staff. Requests for assistance with any situation should continue routing through 911 or the non-emergency number at 503-823-3333. However, if you live in the expanded service area, there is a possibility that PSR could handle your call. A potential PSR response will encourage some residents to reporting situations that they may not have before. Many concerns don’t require a police response but instead, need trained specialists to de-escalate a situation.

People interested in following the PSR team’s progress can use a newly created dashboard to view aggregate metrics regarding calls and a heat-map of activity. Expect to see more PSR dispatches in Montavilla soon.

New expanded Portland Street Response area showing eastern Montavilla and the other service areas. That area includes SE Division St. on the north, SE Clatsop St. (roughly) on the south, SE 62th Ave. (roughly) on the west, and Powell Butte along the eastern boundary.
Infrastructure

Downed Power Lines Briefly Close Burnside

Around 7 AM this morning, a one-block section of East Burnside Street was closed due to downed power lines. Portland Police Officers barricaded both traffic lanes for the 7000 block of the roadway, allowing PGE crews to remove the energized cable safely. Traffic was allowed to pass by 7:50 AM.

Power lines feeding the duplex at 5 NE 71st Ave became dislodged from supporting mounts and fell across E Burnside Street. PGE cut power to several homes during the repairs, still underway. This latest incident is one of many infrastructure disruptions caused by the recent winter storm. Tree limbs damaged by heavy ice continue to fall, causing damage to suspended cables and property. Repair crews are only now catching up with work orders and restoring regular service.