PPB: I-5 carjacking suspect may have committed other crimes

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – The armed suspect of several carjackings on Interstate 5 and a home invasion on Monday may have also committed other crimes, Portland police said Tuesday.

It is not clear what additional crimes the suspect may have committed. The suspect has not yet been publicly identified.

Police also identified the officer involved in the shooting as John Hughes, a 17-year veteran who has been placed on paid administrative leave as the investigation remains ongoing.

Authorities ask anyone with information on the incident or the suspect to contact Detective Erik Kammerer at Erik.Kammerer@portlandoregon.gov or 503.823.0762. Information can also be reported to Detective Shaye Samora at Shaye.Samora@portlandoregon.gov or 503.823.0768.

Reaction from city leaders

In a statement to KOIN 6 News, Commissioner Mingus Mapps said there’s been a tremendous amount of violence in Portland this week.

“I hope Portlanders will take a moment to reflect on what we are asking of our police officers as a city and as a society. We ask them to confront this violence for us. At the same time, we are not doiing enough to acknowledge how hard and dangerous their job is and think about the humanity behind the badge,” Mapps said.

He added we need to create a culture in Portland that supports their work and attracts the best recruits.

Later Tuesday, PPB Chief Chuck Lovell said investigators are balacing “the need for transparency with the responsibility to provide accurate information” during the investigation.

“The last few days have been particularly violent, with shootings, four homicides, one fatal crash and an officer-involved shooting and all of the crimes prior to it. We know our community is concerned about the rise in violence and we are doing our best to respond and investigate these crimes,” Lovell said in a statement. He commended the work of the police and assured the community “we’re working hard to ensure Portland remains a vibrant and safe place for everyone.”

Mayor Ted Wheeler tweeted a statement about the incident on Monday, noting the efforts of Portland Police.

Details of the incident

On Monday, officers responded to a home invasion robbery in North Portland around 9:30 a.m. During that robbery, the suspect reportedly stole the victim’s vehicle.

Police said the suspect appeared to have committed several other carjackings while armed over the following 30-40 minutes, but could not clarify exactly how many or where they occurred.

PPB Lt. Nathan Sheppard said officers found the vehicle in the area and were following the suspect when he drove onto northbound I-5 near Rosa Parks — heading in the wrong direction.

At one point, the suspect got out of the stolen car and attempted another carjacking on the freeway. During this latest carjacking, he shot one of the car’s occupants. That victim was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

After that shooting occurred on I-5, an officer fired off rounds and fatally struck the suspect. He was pronounced dead.

After sending out information on the officer-involved shooting, PPB tweeted that between critical incidents and their staffing shortage — officers are only responding to Priority 1 and 2 calls. Response time for other calls may be delayed.