PORTLAND, Ore. — Street racing once again took over multiple intersections throughout Portland on Sunday night, from the Fremont Bridge to the Cully and Roseway neighborhoods.
People living nearby say they heard gunshots, fireworks and tires screeching for at least two hours here at the corner of Northeast Fremont and 72nd Avenue. On Monday morning, evidence from the street takeovers was plainly visible: skid marks, pieces from cars and tires scattered on the side of the road, even after a few neighbors came by to clean up.
"I did come out to check [the takeover out] and there were about 200 people on the buildings, along the streets in about 100 vehicles blocking off the intersection," said Chris Hansen, Chair of the Roseway Neighborhood Association, who lives nearby. "I get that kids just want to have fun, and I think not realizing the toll it takes on the neighbor that I just talked to who has lung cancer, who could barely breathe afterward because she’s just a block away. The fumes were going into her house."
The social media application Snap Chat is an app where users can send and share pictures or videos. The app has a map feature where users can see what users are doing in different areas. The map feature showcased spectators dangerously close to the fast-moving cars spinning out.
Hansen said he called Portland police but never saw their presence at the takeover.
"It makes us feel unsafe," Hansen said. "It's aggravating. Last year, our neighbor was beaten at this intersection [during a previous street takeover] because he was trying to take videos of what was happening. I think a lot of the people that come here and have a good time, but don't realize that there is a violent element here, too."
In the past, Portland police have said due to low staffing, and the number of people and vehicles involved, a large coordinated response from police is required to safely break them up. But business owners told KGW the city should have a better response to these street takeovers.
The 7-Eleven location near Northeast Prescott and 60th Avenue was looted late Sunday night. The owner said between $10,000 to $15,000 worth of merchandise was stolen in less than 20 minutes.
Security footage captured looters leaving with their hands full of things like cases of beer, cigarettes and snacks after going behind the register, despite the worker’s pleas to leave.
"They took all the beer out and ran to the other side and then they [came] to the cash register and bothered my cashier. [One of the looters] had a gun and said [to my cashier], 'If you stop me I will shoot you,'" said the owner of the targeted 7-Eleven, asked to remain anonymous for the safety of his family.
He told KGW he called Portland police and told them about the looting, but was told they couldn’t do a thing.
"[They said,] 'I can’t help you out because there is too [big of a] crowd outside, I can't do anything. If they [break] the vendor windows, then I’m coming, then the cops will come,'" the owner of the 7-Eleven told KGW, recalling the response to his call. "And I said, 'Oh, you guys will wait for someone to kill us and then you guys will come?' And they said, 'I’m sorry, I can’t help you,' and they hung up the phone."
The Mayor's office told KGW that Portland police are beefing up their traffic division again, post-pandemic, and have started performing stings at street takeovers, resulting in arrests. They are also looking for implementation of Senate Bill 615, which increases penalties like forfeiting a vehicle used in street takeovers and criminal penalties for those who organize these gatherings.