Portland officer kills knife-wielding suspect after two downtown stabbings
Police shot a man armed with a knife who had stabbed two people on Southwest Broadway; the victims survived while the suspect died at a hospital.
A Portland police officer fatally shot a man armed with a knife on Southwest Broadway after the suspect allegedly stabbed two individuals in the city’s downtown area on Thursday afternoon. The incident occurred near Hotel Lucia and Hotel Vintage, just before rush hour.
Witnesses said the suspect was running and brandishing a knife, and that he swiped at several people before police arrived. When officers confronted him, he allegedly charged, prompting the officer to fire. The suspect was given emergency first aid and transported to a city hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police recovered a box-cutter with a broken blade at the scene. The two stabbing victims, identified as delivery workers, sustained serious injuries but are expected to recover.
Portland police Sgt. Kevin Allen said nearly 20 officers responded within minutes, treating the call as a high priority. Police and fire units blocked several blocks of Broadway and adjacent streets while detectives and forensic specialists processed the scene and interviewed witnesses.
Police Chief Bob Day expressed that he was “gratified to hear that the victims are going to recover” and noted his sadness over the events. The street closures were expected to last several hours, with hotel staff assisting pedestrians as the investigation continued.