Portland’s long Fourth of July weekend quickly turned into a test of the city’s emergency system, as officers juggled multiple shootings, a crash that investigators say involved gunfire, reports of attempted street takeovers and several arrests. Rapid-response teams and liaison officers were shifted across downtown and eastside neighborhoods while witnesses and local hospitals became key pieces in a tangle of overlapping investigations.
Police Rolled Out Rapid Response Teams And DLOs
According to a press release from City of Portland Police, the bureau activated Dialogue Liaison Officers, the Rapid Response Team, a sound truck and air support to manage a public-order event at Lownsdale Park along with other Independence Day gatherings. The release notes that PPB received mutual aid from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and had Portland Fire & Rescue paramedics embedded with officers as they worked crowded festival zones and downtown protests.
Central Eastside Shooting Sends One To Hospital
In the Central Eastside, an early-morning shooting near Southeast Grand Avenue and Southeast Washington Street sent a man to the hospital after officers found evidence of gunfire in the area. Investigators are canvassing for witnesses and are asking anyone with video from the scene to submit tips, according to coverage of pre-dawn gunfire on SE Grand…