PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — Sierra Wahlke said she knew immediately the sound she heard just after 6 p.m. Friday was gunfire — “a loud, very clear, explosive noise” — and left her apartment to make sure everything was OK.
But she said when she got downstairs to SW 12th and Jefferson she knew something was wrong.
“There was a police officer, he clearly said that he shot somebody. I wasn’t sure if that person was OK or not,” Wahlke told KOIN 6 News. “I headed across the street, and I saw their leg move so I knew that it wasn’t a fatal injury at that point.”
Portland police said they responded to a 911 call about a man chasing people with a knife in that area and spotted a man who matched the description. But “during the ensuing encounter, the officer fired his weapon and the suspect was injured,” officials said in a statement on Saturday.
Officers applied a tourniquet to the suspect, identified as 45-year-old Jeremy J. Rieck, and then was taken to a local hospital for treatment. After being treated and released, he was booked into the Multnomah County Jail. He will face charges of 2nd-degree attempted assault, unlawful use of a weapon and is being held also on a parole detainer.
“There were more cops than I’ve ever seen in my whole entire life, for this one shooting that they caused,” Wahlke said. “They brought a gun to a knife fight and I don’t understand why that’s the response.”
PPB said they’re conducting an internal review of the incident. At this time, the name of the officer involved in the shooting has not been released, but is on standard procedure administrative leave. Officials with PPB declined a KOIN 6 News request for an interview because they were tied up with the visit to the city by President Biden.
This incident is the 7th officer-involved shooting in 2022 in Portland. That is more than any number reported between 2010 and 2020, but less than the 8 incidents reported in 2021.
Wahlke said she wishes the officer involved in this shooting would have refrained from pulling the trigger, despite what crimes Rieck allegedly committed.
“That doesn’t fix anything. So now you have a person who had to go to the hospital. Who’s paying for that? Now you have a person who’s going to prison. Who’s paying for that? It’s all of us,” she said. “So instead of helping this individual, you’ve caused harm to not just that person but to the whole entire community around it. It is very upsetting.”
Authorities say there may have been witnesses who have information that led up to the incident, and are asking them to reach out to detectives Calvin Goldring or Tony Merrill at Calvin.Goldring@police.portlandoregon.gov 503.823.0256 or Anthony.Merrill@police.portlandoregon.gov 503.823.4033 and reference case No. 22-276387.