We talk a lot about the vulnerability of people living on Portland's streets—nearly 40 percent of homeless people in Portland report being the victim of an assault.
But incidents like the one the police report today make the statistics feel more real. At about 2 am Tuesday night, officers responded to a house on SE 47th and Woodstock after a resident phoned in that a bloody man had appeared on her porch and asked her to call 911. Police found the man, Adin Templin, suffering from a head injury. From the report:
Templin told police that he had been setting up his sleeping bag in Woodstock Park when he was hit in the back of the head by an unknown person. Officers checked the park and located a crime scene as well as a group of people who had knowledge of the assault. Officers also located two additional victims that were assaulted at Southeast 48th Avenue and Woodstock Boulevard, 34-year-old Stacey Eaton and 34-year-old Albert John Schenedler. None of the injuries were considered life-threatening.Officers continued to investigate and were able to determine that 20-year-old Elijah Lawson and a 13-year-old male were involved in the assault.
Hurting homeless people: Never funny, never okay.