PORTLAND, Ore. — Surveillance cameras captured the moments just before a deadly police shooting near Mall 205 in Southeast Portland on Wednesday. The video shows a man running through the parking lot outside the mall. Five police vehicles are also visible with lights flashing, and officers can be seen with their guns drawn.
Police said Wednesday that the suspect had an active warrant for his arrest and had been spotted trying to shoplift from a nearby Target store. When officers tried to arrest him, the man took off. Police said there was a confrontation near the edge of the parking lot and officers fired shots.
"Maybe four or five rapid shots like boom, boom, boom, boom," said Oleg Molodstov, who works at the Fixoid cellphone repair shop in a satellite mall building near where the shooting happened.
The suspect died at the scene. No officers were injured. Investigators said they located a black semiautomatic handgun next to the suspect. Police released a black and white photo of the gun. A police spokesperson said the bureau didn’t want to release a color photo because blood is visible.
Police haven’t explained why the officers fired, or if they knew the suspect had a gun at the time they fired.
"The reason that we don't specifically say is because we are still early in our investigative process," police spokesperson Sgt. Kevin Allen said Wednesday night.
The parking lot at Mall 205 was back to normal on Thursday. Previously, a KGW investigation highlighted problems with retail theft in the area and efforts to combat the issue. Portland’s police chief explained retail theft is often connected to other criminal activity.
"We are seeing a larger degree of associated violence, what I mean by that is people with extensive criminal history. We are seeing more firearms," said Portland Police Chief Bob Day.
The three Portland Police officers involved in Wednesday's shooting — two from the Focused Intervention Team and one from East Precinct — will be on paid administrative leave during the investigation, which is standard protocol.
None of the officers were wearing body cameras. The bureau’s body worn camera pilot program ended in October. Full training and body camera roll-out for all Portland officers is expected to begin in the summer of 2024.
A police spokesperson said additional information surrounding the shooting could be released following an autopsy. Investigators also need to notify next of kin before the suspect is publicly identified.