Christina Lais says she happened to be standing on the porch of her house, smoking a cigarette, as tonight’s officer-involved-shooting unfolded before her eyes. She shot the entire incident on her iPhone, which she says has been confiscated by police who wanted to download the video.

Lais’ description of events is gripping:

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I heard a loud siren and noticed a police car speeding toward another car which then pulled to a stop. The police immediately jumped out of their car and shouted for the individual to show his hands and get out of the car (I am not sure on the exact words). I was still on the phone at this point but it struck me as odd because the guy didn’t seem to comply with the officers’ orders. So I hung up the phone and started taking video of the incident on my iPhone.

At this point, there were officers at the driver side door with Tazers drawn. I heard some arguing. The cops tazed him a ton and he was shouting and screaming back. Then one shot was fired and then a whole shit ton of shots were fired. I ducked down and ran into my house. I put the camera on the windowsill so I could be in a safe place.

After some silence, I went back outside and saw the victim slumped half way out of the car, on the passenger side. There were 3 or 4 cops with bean bag guns drawn, asking him to show his hands or something. The victim appeared motionless to me. They shot him a few times with the bean bags. I think it was because they couldn’t see his hands and weren’t sure if he still had the gun. After that, I saw them drag the victim onto the sidewalk where I could see him clearly. He had blood on his shirt. I kept wondering why they weren’t taking him to a hospital. The paramedics arrived and checked his vitals. I then saw all the police officers kind of shrug and turn around. That’s when I knew it was over. There was a woman screaming and crying on the sidewalk. I don’t know anything about her.

They just removed the body about an hour ago [11 PM]. He’s been laying in plain sight from my front door for hours and hours.

Sarah Shay Mirk reported on transportation, sex and gender issues, and politics at the Mercury from 2008-2013. They have gone on to make many things, including countless comics and several books.

51 replies on “Witness Account of Police Shooting: “One Shot was Fired and Then a Whole Shit Ton of Shots were Fired.””

  3. please remember the name of the person(2)
    who took the iPod so we’ll have someone to
    harass if they somehow “loose it” and can’t
    find it later…such has been known to happen
    with these dudes when the film footage is not
    favorable to their version of events…with their
    world in free fall, they’re desperate men now
    and would not be above outright lying to
    preserve their “way of life” and the status quo
    they know as it is cratering out from beneath
    them…if they gave you any “paperwork” or a
    Custody Receipt…keep it with an attorney for
    safe keeping as you’d not want them showing
    up while your gone raffling through your stuff
    to find it to destroy later on…hate to be so
    pessimistic on this, but I smell that odd smell
    we’ve come know as PoPiggie Stench in wake
    of many of their previous fuck ups!

    A NOTE TO THE REST OF US: if you are able
    to actually film a citizen killing in progress, it is
    essential that you DO NOT let the PPB know of
    it’s existence till you’ve let a few days go by so
    they can craft their version and you’ve had the
    chance to make extra copies and gotten them
    to a lawyer for safe keeping or place them with
    PIMC or one of the more trustworthy local TV
    stations (?) or better yet, give it to the editor’s
    of the MERCURY so the public is not cheated out
    of the visual truth of what really happened….we
    all need to remember that had it not been for so
    much film footage out there by the public on the
    James Chasse killing, the case would have died
    4 years ago as just another unfortunate police
    incident based on the “official version” which
    we all know was a total pack of lies…

  9. this is just a game for you, isn’t it, Bad? it’s so exciting: more evil police, more opportunity to fulminate against police brutality, show us all how radical you are. not one word about a young man who is now dead. the human tragedy is much less thrilling than the on-going tale of the evil police. no sadness for the loss of a life, just “hey everybody be ready to film the cops next time! we gotta get our YouTube of this!!”

    sick.

  10. me thinks poor “tabarnhart” misses the whole point of filming citizen killings as they
    take place. perhaps he/she has been on another planet these past few years and just
    got time-dropped here today, or they’re a PoPiggie Troll out trying–vainly as it is–to
    do some “damage control” by attacking “inquiring citizens” who have a RIGHT to know
    the full truth as to what our paid for so-called “law-enforcement” are doing and not be so
    sheepeople enough to just take their word for it and just accept the “move along–nothing
    to see here” mentality that they’d love for all of us to have as it makes their lives so less
    complicated. Nay, it ain’t going happen here in the weird People’s Republic of Portland…so
    just get use to it and “get over it” (whatever “it” is that stands in your way of seeing the
    REALITY here)…..so does that clarify any lingering questions??????

  14. Why do people assume all police involved shootings are identical? As bad a reputation as the Portland Police have, in this case the deceased apparently was non compliant and shot and officer…..what the hell to you expect them to do after he opened fire? Yeah, I get it some of you would just rather not have and Government or Police at all. Which makes me rather curious as to what you are involved in.

  15. Boy you’re really on a roll, ujfoyt. “Moran” is the Blogtownie collective joke that got start when some teabagger idiot had it printed on one of his protest signs.

  16. @ Showstopper –

    Not to mention they used the almighty Tazer everyone’s always going on about on the deceased multiple times and it did nothing, and he still managed to shoot a cop after being Tazed multiple times.

    Proof positive the Tazer doesn’t do what a lot of the people here think it does 100% of the time.

  17. so the masks come off do they? “Jackattak”, “Graham” and “ujfoyt” are PoPiggie Trolls hiding behind their faux liberalism…tsk! tsk!…it’s always rough when masks fall off and people are revealed for what they are…

  20. Also, Bad Robot, I’ve never said I was Liberal nor have I ever distinguished myself with that party, so not sure where you ever got that impression.

    Labels are for idiots.

  21. Bad Robot smells like one of those cheesy “black bloc” trust fund anarchists that I see hanging out on Hawthorne bitching about their latest squat getting busted. Grow up and lose the tinfoil hat, Bad Robot.

  23. I come from a long line of sheepeople.

    And Showstopper and Jackattack seem to have it right, up there. He apparently opened fire, and then wasn’t stopped by multiple tazers – so sure, open fire! But after the last few shootings, I sure hope that’s exactly how it went down.

  24. Are we sure the cop was shot by the victim. It may have been a stray bullit or friendly fire. Also, it is interesting that there was a shit-ton of shooting then later a couple of smaller caliber shots fired as reported by KATU. There are a couple of scenario that would account for that a coup d’gras or a couple of shots by the “victim” after he was dead. Of course this is all conjecture but I didn’t start the fire.

  26. Hey guys! Just a reminder to do your best to keep conversation civil—especially in crazy situations like this. Thanks for commenting on Blogtown!

  27. @OhReally – You’re right – but I’m thinking the two late shots might have been the sound of the beanbag guns? That was after the “shit ton” of real bullets, but before they were sure he had dropped his weapon.”

  29. Reymont’s on it. Those were probably the beanbag rounds.

    @ Blabby – Don’t make me turn this car around!! And get the hell off MY LAWN!!

  32. This really snarled traffic – PDX popo needs to stick to shooting people in parks so the citizenry can get on with their fighting over the roads, bike v. hummer.

    The way things ought to be!

  33. I guess I missed the “moron””moran” thing. My apologies again. I wondered why Graham was spelling it that way. Drat. Maybe I can attribute it to my advanced age.

  34. Look out… this article just got linked to by KATU. Get ready for the shit-storm of mouth-breathing, knuckledragging morons to come rolling into blogtown.

  36. Considering the number of police officers who were present, it sounds like it was a felony stop, who was most probaby trying to avoid going to jail, now because of his actions, he is now condemed to a casket instead of a jail cell.

  39. The smaller caliber shots fired later were beanbags rounds. The guy in the car definitely fired first. I witnessed it firsthand.

  40. Since when is a non-compliant suspect who shoots a police officer a “victim”? The only “victim” I can see is the officer who ended up in hospital with a gunshot wound!

  41. @sharifa23…Truth. These extremists often forget that police have only seconds (if that) to react to a very dangerous situation. Bottom line is, if you don’t want any trouble with the police, COMPLY.

    I would love to see what these cop bashers do for a living or on their spare time. Coffee shop blogging with the local green card holders, organizing the next violent protest?

  43. No one should be surprised or indignant that there are knee-jerk reactions to this. That’s what happens when there is no accountability on the part of the PPB, and when they’ve pissed away public trust in their ability to do their job with a minimum degree of competence even when people’s lives are at stake.

  44. The use of the phrase “killing of a citizen” or “killing of a citizen in progress” (as some said) makes me to think you are saying the police are just out killing citizens for no purpose. There must be a different way to word it. I think its great you got it on tape and made copies so that what happened is really as clear as possible. These phones now days are pretty cool, can even been used in an automobile accident to record what happened before things are moved or stories told.
    Glad you had presense of mind to do that no matter what the outcome is.

  45. Cheaper to kill em then for us tax payers to keep paying to house them in prison. Just face it, some people are just better off dead.

  46. Meh, big deal. another waste of a human life. people all make choices. sure it’s sad, but come on. was this guy ever going to be a productive part of society? I doubt that. But really, if you shoot at the cops, what do you expect.

  47. Instead of “killing of a citizen” how about “returned fire to protect our wounded colleague”…The only part of the story that bothers me is the deployment of Tasers as the Bad Guy reached for his gun: they should have shot him before he grabbed his weapon. But they’re probably afraid of being reprimanded by the Police Commissioner.

    If you don’t follow police commands, or act in a manner that is threatening, you will experience the escalation of force policy from the business end of the transaction. You will always lose, especially if you are surrounded by other officers. It’s just a real life I.Q. test and this asshole failed.

  48. Bad Robot: “loose” is what your girlfriend is after three drinks. “lose” is what happens to your stash if you forget it at the crack house.

  50. It’s pretty simple.

    Cop pulls you over or orders something.

    You stop and comply. They are the law enforcement officers for our society.

    If you comply you live, very simple.

    If you don’t, bad things happen, generally a trip to jail at the least, maybe death as in the case of this guy.

    He should have listened to the police, he’s be alive today. Dumb move.

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