Local
Three people hospitalized after downtown Portland stabbings and police shooting
Two people were stabbed and a knife-wielding man was shot by a Portland police officer Thursday afternoon on Southwest Broadway. The investigation shut down several blocks as police documented multiple scenes and interviewed witnesses.
Two people were stabbed and a man armed with a knife was shot by a Portland police officer Thursday afternoon in downtown Portland, sending all three to local hospitals and prompting the closure of several blocks around Southwest Broadway.
Police said officers were called at 4:34 p.m. Oct. 15 to an assault with a weapon in the 700 block of Southwest Broadway, where two people had been stabbed. Officers and fire paramedics found the victims near Broadway and Southwest Washington Street. Nearby, police confronted a man carrying a knife outside Hotel Lucia, between Southwest Harvey Milk and Washington streets. An officer fired, hitting the man, police said.
The conditions of the two stabbing victims and the man shot by police were not immediately available. Police also did not release their ages or other identifying information.
A delivery driver who witnessed the confrontation told reporters the man had been running and shouting with a knife and had swiped at several people. The driver said the man charged at officers before they shot him. Police had not publicly confirmed those details.
Portland police Sgt. Kevin Allen said nearly 20 officers responded to the initial call, with all available officers from the Central Precinct sent to the scene. He described it as a high-priority emergency response.
Detectives and forensic specialists investigated several locations. Police cordoned off Broadway from Southwest Harvey Milk Street to Alder Street, along with cross streets from Southwest Fifth Avenue to Park Avenue. The closures affected downtown businesses and visitors, including people trying to reach nearby hotels. Police said the streets could remain closed for several hours while the investigation continued.
The investigation involves both the stabbings and the officer’s use of force. Police had not released further details about what led to the confrontation or whether the officer had been placed on leave.