A Multnomah County jury will soon decide the fate of the Portland financier who is accused of running down a stranger and injuring another man during an apparent outburst of road rage last year.
The criminal prosecution of Geoffrey Hammond, who is charged with killing fellow driver Ryan Martin and injuring pedestrian Sam Gomez at approximately 4:30 p.m. on October 11, 2023, starts with opening statements on Wednesday morning.
When the incident happened, Martin, 47, reportedly got out of his pickup and went to confront Hammond about his parking job.
Gomez, an Arizona artist attending a national convention in Portland, allegedly took a terrifying picture of Hammond aiming his gun at him just before firing.
The 48-year-old Hammond will be charged with having no justification for shooting either victim and then confessing to knowing they were both unarmed.
According to court documents, Hammond claimed self-defense in Martin’s killing and said he made an item substitution error by mistaking Gomez’s cellphone for a gun.
According to court documents, this is how Hammond told a 911 operator about the murder:
Someone became angry with me, got out of their car, and began beating on my window. I fired at him. After that, I heard someone else pointing at me. He answered, “I shot at them too.”
It is anticipated that the study will run for two weeks.
On Tuesday, December 3, 2024, 23-year-old Nathan Isenberg was convicted of attempted murder.Sparling, Zane, and The Oregonian
CAR PROWLER WHO SHOT BAT-BRANDISHING OWNER FOUND GUILTY
On Tuesday, a car prowler who shot the angry owner in the stomach while claiming self-defense was found guilty of attempted murder.
When Jose Cano heard a disturbance outside his Northeast 124th Avenue residence at 4:30 a.m. on April 17, 2023, he went up to the would-be car thief, armed only with a wooden bat and a pair of boxers, according to court filings.
Before shooting the thunderous bullet, Nathan D. Isenberg was heard muttering, “Give me the gun,” according to surveillance footage shown in court.
Prosecutor Eric Palmer stated in court that Isenberg, 21, confessed to a friend who testified against him in spite of threats, and Cano lived.
Tom Dwyer, the defense lawyer, offered two possible explanations for the shooting: either Isenberg or his unnamed accomplice fired the gun, or it was self-defense.
In a bench trial, Circuit Judge Melvin Oden-Orr of Multnomah County handed down the guilty verdict.
Friday is the scheduled sentencing day.
According to witnesses and authorities, David Bentley was murdered when he was struck by a car heading east on Southeast Belmont Street.Staff Member Maxine Bernstein
SUSPECT IN MORRISON BRIDGE CAMP KILLING DENIED BAIL
For allegedly running over and killing David Bentley at an eastside homeless camp close to the Morrison Bridge’s exit ramps on February 25, Shane McKeever is charged with second-degree murder.
According to the state’s account of the case, McKeever, 23, got into a fight with another camper, Edward Whitney, who was known as Grumpy on the streets, and attempted to run him over. Rather, McKeever is accused of hitting and killing 48-year-old Bentley.
Courtroom surveillance tape shows the events leading up to the murder, but not the actual killing.
The state has sufficient evidence, according to Circuit Judge Shelley Russell, to detain McKeever in jail before his trial.
IN OTHER NEWS
Prosecutors in Multnomah County have dismissed a harassment prosecution against prominent activist John Hackerin April. On April 13, 2023, Hacker, 40, was charged with engaging in provocative physical behavior with a security guard during a pro-Palestinian demonstration at a Democratic Party of Oregon banquet held at a hotel in downtown Portland. According to Hacker, the state relied on the guard’s story as proof but was unable to move forward until surveillance footage surfaced that contradicted the account.
According to court documents, the number of alleged victims who have come forward against Portland Dr. Brian Bowen has increased to 12. Bowen, a podiatrist, is accused by the patients of groping them at Eastside Foot & Ankle from 2022 to 2023. February is the date of the trial.
Next Tuesday, Washington County Circuit Court will start the murder trial of Jimmy Pierce, 39, who is accused of killing Ramon Harris outside a Beaverton strip club seven years ago.
Jacob McBain-Birdwell, 34, is facing a rape trial in Multnomah County. On Tuesday, a lady testified horrifyingly that she was 16 and 17 years old when McBain-Birdwell forced her into a sexually and physically abusive relationship.
She testified that he would break almost everything that was valuable to her, including her face.
Two victims are listed in McBain-Birdwell’s 66-count indictment.
Aleque Mack and Yurida Sanchez entered a guilty plea to second-degree animal abuse for keeping their Bernedoodle in a filthy cage in their Alta Art Tower apartment in the downtown area. 40 hours of community service were required as a punishment. After a veterinarian certifies the cat’s good health, the couple is allowed to keep it.
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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