‘Erratic’ man armed with gun, hammer shot by PPB

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A man said to be acting erratically and armed with a gun and a hammer was shot by Portland police early Saturday night but is expected to survive, officials said.

The incident unfolded around 5:15 p.m. when then man was seen walking down the 7600 block of North Portsmouth carrying the weapons. When officers tried to contact him, he took cover behind a car and remained armed.

Both the Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT) and the Crisis Response Team rushed to the scene.

Witness Pedro Sanchez told KOIN 6 News he saw the entire episode — and eventually he ran for cover. When he and his wife saw SERT units surround that area of North Portsmouth Avenue, he began to capture it on his camera.

The man kept hopping from behind cars and in-and-out of a nearby apartment, officials said.

“He’s coming in the middle to the road with the hands up and asking the cops, like, ‘shoot me,'” Sanchez said.

“One of our officers deploys a non-lethal round, and then another officer follows with lethal rounds, and we hit this individual,” PPB spokesperson Mike Benner said.

Even though he was wounded, police said, the suspect continued to disobey commands. A police K9 was sent in and the man was taken into custody around 6:20 p.m.

It is unclear where he was shot. Authorities also said the man did not fire his gun.

PPB Chief Bob Day said their expectation is that the suspect will survive.

“Our officers are all safe, and the community is safe, and tonight is just another reminder of the challenges we’re facing as a community, as a city,” Day said Saturday night.

The suspect’s name has not yet been released. The officer involved is now on paid administrative leave, standard procedure in these situations.

City data shows this is the fourth person shot by Portland police this year, the same number of officer-involved shootings as in 2023.

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