PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A retired Portland Police Bureau officer has been indicted on multiple charges stemming from an incident in which the man allegedly hit a person with a van.
According to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, 50-year-old Scott Groshong is facing charges after he allegedly struck someone who had burglarized a shop on the night of a protest in downtown Portland. On June 15, Groshong was doing undercover surveillance for a protest when he reportedly spotted some individuals looting from a skate shop near Northwest 9th Avenue and Davis. According to the police, the suspect had broken off from the larger crowd.
The Portland Police Association said one suspect took off once he noticed the officer’s van and ran in front of the vehicle — causing him to be hit. A witness who reportedly watched the scene unfold said the suspect appeared unhurt and took off running, resuming his attempt to flee.
The PPB said Groshong retired in August 2020 and was still employed with the PPB when detectives learned about the allegations against Groshong on June 25.
Investigations were opened by the PPB’s Detective Division and the Professional Standards Division, according to police. The Marion County District Attorney’s Office took over responsibility for the case from Multnomah County. The PPB said it transferred its investigation to the Salem Police Department on July 2. The Marion County DA’s Office later presented its case to a grand jury in Multnomah County, where Groshong was indicted.
On October 22, Groshong turned himself in and was later released on his own recognizance. On Monday, he was arraigned on the secret indictment at the Multnomah County Justice Center.
Groshong now faces various charges, including failure to perform the duties of a driver to injured persons, third-degree assault, first-degree official misconduct and second-degree official misconduct.
His next court date is scheduled for December 14.
The investigation into the burglary remains open.
Since protests began, a city oversight agency has received nearly 100 complaints against police officers related to ongoing protests across Portland.
The City Auditor’s Independent Police Review received a large number of complaints in the first few weeks following George Floyd’s death. According to new data released Wednesday, the IPR and Internal Affairs have opened 97 protest-related cases since complaints started being filed in late May. Forty-nine of those cases contain allegations of excessive use of force.
The number of complaints spiked in June, according to the IPR’s data, with 46 complaints relating to protests compared to 36 others that were not protest-related. KOIN 6 News previously reported the oversight agency has seen what would typically be a year’s worth of cases in the span of a few months, leading to a bottle-neck backup of complaints — many of which were waiting to be processed through the IPR’s intake system.