Police surround Northwest home, take suspect into custody after brief shelter-in-place
Portland police and state troopers surrounded a home on Northwest Overton Street on Wednesday after officers reported seeing a man holding a knife who matched the description of a person wanted in a recent menacing case. The man was located in a lower-level apartment and taken into custody shortly before 5 p.m., authorities said. The shelter-in-place order issued for the immediate neighborhood was lifted soon after the arrest.
At least 30 officers diverted from a planned downtown enforcement operation to respond to the search after the suspect was spotted near Northwest Northrup and 16th Avenue just before 2 p.m., according to a Portland Police Bureau sergeant on the scene. Officers said the man fled when they attempted to stop him.
Police deployed a variety of tools and personnel in the search, including a drone, K-9s and a remote-controlled police robot. Officers located the suspect in the backyard of a house on Northwest Overton Street, between 18th and 19th avenues, and discovered he had forced entry into a lower-level apartment.
"The suspect damaged both pieces of police equipment with a pipe," police said.
Officials said the resident of the lower-level unit was not home at the time. People working in a skin-care business on the main level of the house were evacuated as officers worked to secure the scene.
During the entry, a Portland police K-9 was sent into the lower-level apartment and officers reported the suspect may have sustained bites before he was restrained. Police also said the suspect struck the police dog several times with a large metal pipe. The man was removed from the home and transported to a local hospital for treatment; he is expected to be booked into jail after receiving medical care.
Timeline of the incident
| Time (approx.) | Event |
|---|---|
| Just before 2 p.m. | Suspect spotted with a knife at Northwest Northrup and 16th Ave. |
| Afternoon | Officers surrounded home on Northwest Overton St.; shelter-in-place issued |
| Just before 5 p.m. | Suspect taken into custody on the front porch and shelter-in-place lifted |
| Evening | Suspect transported to hospital; to be booked after treatment |
Impact on neighbors and businesses
The operation temporarily disrupted activity along the block. Employees were evacuated from the skin-care business that occupies the main level of the house where the suspect had broken in, and residents in surrounding buildings were told to shelter in place until officers secured the scene. The shelter-in-place order was brief; officers were seen removing the man from the property, and normal movement in the area resumed after police cleared the scene.
- Resources used: drone, police robot, K-9 unit, roughly 30 officers from Portland and state police
- Property impact: lower-level apartment was entered forcibly; police equipment sustained damage
- Public safety: suspect and at least one police K-9 were injured and required treatment
Portland police said they are continuing their investigation into the incident, including the circumstances of the initial menacing report that prompted officers to look for the suspect. No name was released by Wednesday night.
For residents in Northwest Portland, the episode is a reminder of the rapid shifts that can occur in neighborhood safety and the significant police resources that can be mobilized for a relatively short period. Officials have not yet released information on charges that will be filed once the suspect is medically cleared and booked.
Anyone with information about the incident or related activity is asked to contact the Portland Police Bureau through the nonemergency line or tips channels.
