I-84 Closed Briefly After Police Shoot Man Near Freeway

Monday, September 01, 2014

By Shelby Sebens, GoLocalPDX Reporter

Portland Police

Portland police shot a man who was waving a gun at drivers on the I-84 freeway on Labor Day.

Portland police shot a man who was walking along I-84, waving a gun and causing traffic to halt for hours on the freeway during the Labor Day holiday.

The freeway was reopened shortly after 2 p.m. Monday and the man, whose name has not yet been released, was sent to the hospital with non life-threatening injuries, according to Sgt. Pete Simpson of the Portland Police Bureau.

Just before 10 a.m. Monday, police responded to the 122nd Avenue off-ramp from I-84 eastbound after getting calls of a man a pointing a handgun at passing cars. Drivers called 911, saying the man was trying to carjack drivers on the ramp, Simpson said.

The freeway was shut down as multiple officers tried to arrest the man. Police alerted drivers to “shelter-in-place.” At one point an officer fired shots and hit the man, who ran to the north side of the freeway and collapsed in the 11200 block of Northeast Fremont Street.

Witnesses have been asked to call the police non-emergency line at (503) 823-3333, police said.

The officer involved in the shooting is being put on paid administrative leave, as is protocol, and his name will be released in 24 hours, police said.

Representatives from the Chief's Office, Mayor's Office, Training Division, Internal Affairs Division, East County Major Crimes Team, Office of Independent Police Review (IPR), Traumatic Incident Committee (TIC), and the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office all responded to the scene.

Police said a handgun has been recovered and is being analyzed to determine if it is real or a replica.