According to authorities, a man who opened fire in Portland’s Old Town district was involved in a police standoff Wednesday afternoon after he took control of a TriMet bus and refused to get off.
around a press conference around 2:00 p.m., a police spokesperson stated that the man was alone inside the halted transport car after dropping a gun out of an open window.
According to the spokesperson, Mike Benner, shots were heard shortly after officers arrived at Northwest Fifth Avenue and Glisan Street at 12:15 p.m. in response to allegations of a man brandishing a gun at onlookers.
According to Benner, the gunman stopped a passing bus, told the occupants to get out, but insisted that the driver remain and drive him about the area. The official said the bus went around the area before the suspect let the driver escape.
According to Benner, the Portland Police Bureau’s current priority is to safely and amicably take the suspect into custody because this must have been a scary circumstance for all parties concerned.
There have been no reports of injuries thus yet.
The bus was halted just west of the Steel Bridge, at the intersection of Third Avenue and Northwest Glisan Street, with at least a dozen officers waiting behind it. At the front of the car was a figure wearing a white jacket.
As cops attempted to persuade the man to leave the bus, announcements were played over a loudspeaker.
An officer called out, “Perhaps we can convince you to go to the hospital.” We can assist you if you open the doors.
Tara Faul, a local photographer, reported seeing a man going through a mental health crisis on Wednesday when she was distributing blankets in the neighborhood. Faul reported that after five or six shots were fired, the man rushed onto the bridge and stood in the center of the lane, waving down a bus.
She claimed that as they opened the door and he rushed inside, everyone on the bus suddenly started fleeing in a panic down the street.
According to dispatch data, there are at least 20 units on the scene. The area’s streets are closed.
TriMet reports that police activity has caused disruptions to MAX light rail service. The transit agency’s spokeswoman declined to comment further.
This article was written by Tatum Todd, a writer at Oregonian/OregonLive. There will be updates on this breaking news story.
For The Oregonian/OregonLive, Zane Sparling reports on court proceedings and breaking news. You may contact him at [email protected], 503-319-7083, or pdxzane.
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