PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — The Portland Police Bureau on Friday released detailed internal documents and videos relating to the shooting death of John Elifritz at a shelter in Southeast Portland on April 7, 2018.

The documents include interviews with witnesses and the police officers involved, plus video of the police interactions leading up to and immediately after police shot him inside the Portland City Team Ministries Shelter around 8 p.m. that night.


The shooting was caught on video and attracted the attention of city leaders, the ACLU or Oregon and the family of Elifritz, who was 48.

In a photo released by Portland Police on May 25, 2018, John Elifritz is seen alongside a knife he had with him when he was shot by by police on April 7, 2018

Seven Portland Police officers and one Multnomah County deputy were involved in the shooting, according to Portland Police. 

Twelve other officers were interviewed by investigators, according to Portland Police.

There are 681 pages in the documents released on the PPB’s Open Data page.

On Wednesday, John Elifritz’s wife Barbara filed a federal lawsuit seeking an unspecified amount of damages.

Brief recap

John Elifritz died April 7 from multiple gunshot wounds. Authorities said he had prompted 911 calls with menacing behavior earlier that day and carjacked a vehicle that he crashed outside the shelter.

After he entered the shelter, officers ordered him to drop a knife and then fired from across a room.

A Multnomah County grand jury said the shooting was justified and declined to indict the officers.