Portland DA says Feb. 5 officer shooting was justified; police video outlines warrant service and fatal encounter
District attorney: deadly force met Oregon’s legal standard
A Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office review has concluded that Portland police officers acted lawfully when they shot and killed a man during an early-morning warrant service on February 5, 2026, in Northwest Portland. The finding means prosecutors will not pursue criminal charges related to the officers’ use of deadly force.
Under Oregon law, an officer’s use of deadly force is evaluated against an “objectively reasonable” standard based on the totality of circumstances known to the officer at the moment force was used, including whether the person posed an imminent threat of death or serious physical injury.
What happened inside a Pearl District high-rise
Police have said the shooting occurred in an apartment high-rise in the 1600 block of Northwest 14th Avenue as specialized units prepared to serve a search warrant and an arrest warrant on 57-year-old Erik D. Sherrer. Investigators linked Sherrer to a January 31, 2026 incident at a grocery store in the 1300 block of Northwest Lovejoy Street in which he allegedly claimed to be a U.S. Secret Service agent, pointed a handgun at a uniformed security officer and pulled the trigger.
Officers reported that Sherrer left behind a loaded shotgun at the grocery store; police have also said shotgun shells recovered in connection with the case contained written threats naming President Donald Trump. The sequence of events elevated the case’s risk profile and contributed to the decision to use the Special Emergency Reaction Team and Crisis Negotiation Team for the warrant service.
- Time and place: officers began the warrant service at about 5:15 a.m. on February 5.
- Evacuations: residents on the floor were moved to a safe location before officers proceeded further.
- Escalation: after unsuccessful efforts to communicate, officers deployed irritant gas into the apartment.
Video release and identification of officers
On February 19, 2026, the Portland Police Bureau released a video package that includes body-worn camera footage and identified the two officers who fired their bureau-issued weapons: Detective Charles Asheim, assigned to the Specialized Resources Division and a member of SERT, and Officer Dustin Barth, assigned to Central Precinct and a member of SERT.
The bureau said both officers remain on administrative leave, which is standard after an officer-involved shooting.
Police have said Sherrer emerged into the hallway holding a handgun and that shots were fired after officers perceived a lethal threat.
What comes next
Separate from the district attorney’s criminal review, the police bureau’s internal use-of-force review process continues. Police have said the case will go to the Police Review Board, which includes community members and representatives from the Independent Police Review Division, and that additional investigative materials are expected to be released after the broader process is complete.
No officers or bystanders were reported injured during the February 5 incident. Sherrer was pronounced dead at the scene after officers moved in to secure the area and summon staged medical personnel.