The past week in the City of Portland was atypical in the number of high-profile critical incidents that occurred. The first of these incidents was a shooting at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center. Due to the rarity and outsized impact of this incident, PPB is releasing a more detailed timeline of how events unfolded based on the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) entries.
It’s important to note that the times being listed may not reflect exactly when the event occurred, but when the information was entered into CAD by dispatchers or 911 calltakers from the Bureau of Emergency Communication (BOEC). It is also important to know that the entire CAD printout is 122 pages long, beginning with 911 being called and ending with the officer involved shooting in Gresham. Specific, time-stamped details of broadcasted information is covered in the first 24 pages. While the following is not a record of the event in its entirety, main points of interest are displayed. Information related to the officer-involved shooting will be released when appropriate, following the investigation and Grand Jury Process. PPB will release the names of the officers involved within 15 days, per policy.
10:55 Threats call to 911.
10:59 Two officers and a sergeant are dispatched to Legacy Good Samaritan. The information officers knew at the time was that hospital security was with a man who was making “physical threats to staff.” Security provided a partial description of the suspect.
11:04 First arriving Officers broadcast that they are on-scene.
11:10 Dispatch broadcasts that a hospital Security Officer is down.
11:11 Officers ask for resources to lock down all entrances and exits.
11:13 Officers obtain a description of the suspect, which is then broadcasted over the air.
11:16 PPB Sergeant requests a citywide police response.
11:18 Portland’s Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT) and Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) activated.
11:17 Officers are making their way to the 5th floor shooting scene. They are not hearing or seeing indicators of an active shooter/active threat incident.
11:20 Officers radio that the victim is receiving emergency medical care.
11:23 Dispatch continues to broadcast shots fired calls and sighting information received from individuals inside the hospital. The first information that the suspect was seen leaving the hospital on a “moped” headed southbound on Northwest 21st Avenue.
11:26 Hospital Security was able to review security footage that showed the suspect leaving the hospital eight minutes prior. This would mean he left the hospital at approximately 11:18 a.m.
11:29 A passerby flags down an officer saying a possible suspect may have gone into the Fred Meyer on Burnside.
11:31 Resources begin to shift toward the Fred Meyer, and officers broadcast that they are evacuating the building.
11:35 Officers have been able to review the hospital security footage and broadcast an updated description of the suspect and the clothing he was wearing. Photographs from the security footage is also disseminated to all Bureau members.
11:41 News release sent by Public Information Officer (PIO) notifying the community of the shooting and that tactical teams were responding and the hospital is locked down. The release also states that initial information suggests the suspect left the hospital and the police perimeter is NW 23rd Avenue and NW 21st Avenue, NW Northrup to NW Lovejoy St. The release was also posted to social media.
11:45 Bureau members begin researching and then broadcasting possible destinations the suspect might be headed to based on information gleaned from reports of previous police contacts.
11:53 Media staging location established.
12:09 Security Officer Bobby Smallwood succumbs to his injuries.
12:09 Portland Police Bureau Homicide Detectives are paged to respond.
12:13 Friends and family members of hospital staff and of patients begin to arrive in the area. Reunification area established at Northwest 22nd Avenue and Northwest Northrup Street.
12:29 Officers are able to review video footage from the Fred Meyer that reveals the suspect was not caught on camera and did not enter the building.
12:29 An alert East Precinct Sergeant takes the initiative to begin checking some of the locations identified as possible locations the suspect might flee to based on his previous police contacts. Upon reaching one location in the area of Northeast 138th Avenue and Northeast Sandy Boulevard, the sergeant sees an individual matching the suspect’s picture and description hiding in some bushes. He begins broadcasting this information over the radio and requesting assistance to challenge the potentially armed homicide suspect. The sergeant sees the suspect get into the passenger seat of what appears to be a white Ford van or ambulance. The van drives off. The sergeant follows the van, giving updates until it is eventually stopped at Northeast 181st Avenue and Northeast Everett Court in Gresham.
