911 audio and police records detail armed ICE officer confrontation with bicyclist in Northeast Portland

Incident unfolded during an October 31 drive near Northeast 82nd Avenue

An armed federal immigration officer called 911 during a confrontation in Northeast Portland on Oct. 31, warning a dispatcher that he might shoot a person he described as a “kid,” records and audio of the emergency call show. The encounter ended without gunfire, and the person involved was not identified in the available records.

The incident occurred at about 3:30 p.m. as the officer, later identified in police documentation as Israel D. Hernandez, drove an unmarked Ford Explorer and reported being followed by someone riding a motorized bicycle. The officer told dispatchers the bicyclist was punching the vehicle’s window and that he needed immediate assistance.

Dispatcher urged de-escalation as the caller reported drawing his firearm

During the call, the officer told a dispatcher that local officers needed to arrive quickly, adding that otherwise he would “have to” shoot the person following him. In later statements documented by local police, the officer said he opened his center console and pulled out his service weapon while the encounter continued near Northeast 82nd Avenue and Northeast Prescott Street.

Dispatch audio indicates the dispatcher repeatedly encouraged the caller to prioritize safety and separate from the confrontation, advising him to drive to a more populated area and avoid escalating the situation while officers were en route.

“You can drive away. We have officers en route to you.”

Records indicate the call continued as the officer moved locations and described cross streets, with portions of background shouting audible. The call later disconnected, and a return call attempt by dispatch did not connect.

Police report cited misdemeanor-level probable cause, suspect remained unidentified

A Portland Police Bureau report completed that evening documented the officer’s account that the bicyclist yelled at him about being an immigration officer and punched the SUV, including damage to a side-view mirror. The report noted probable cause for second-degree criminal mischief and second-degree disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors. No arrest was documented in the available records, and the suspect was listed as an unidentified person.

In the same police documentation, the officer reported the bicyclist threatened to kill him before fleeing.

Context: heightened tensions around federal immigration enforcement in Portland

The incident occurred amid sustained local tensions surrounding federal immigration enforcement and protests focused on the South Waterfront immigration facility. In the months around the October confrontation, public attention intensified around the scope and tactics of federal operations in the Portland area, as well as debates over the appropriate role of local law enforcement in responding to incidents involving federal officers.

Key verified elements documented in dispatch and police records include:

• Time and place: Oct. 31, about 3:30 p.m., Northeast Portland near Northeast 82nd Avenue.
• A 911 caller identifying as a federal immigration officer seeking immediate assistance.
• Statements indicating the caller feared escalation and referenced using lethal force.
• A police report describing vehicle damage and listing an unidentified suspect.
• No shots fired, and no confirmed identification of the bicyclist in the available records.

The underlying circumstances that initiated the pursuit and the bicyclist’s identity remain unresolved in the documentation reviewed for this report.