Two Portland police officers hospitalized after Sullivan’s Gulch struggle prompts deadly-force review, no shots fired
What happened
Two Portland Police Bureau officers were taken to a hospital for evaluation after an extended struggle with a suspect in the Sullivan’s Gulch area, triggering a deadly-force investigation under bureau policy. Police said neither officer fired a gun during the encounter.
The incident began the morning of September 27, 2025, when officers assigned to Central Precinct were dispatched to a reported threat involving a weapon near Northeast 33rd Avenue over Interstate 84. Dispatchers reported a suspect carrying a metal pole and striking passing vehicles. Officers searched the area but initially did not locate the suspect, and police said no victims came forward at that time to make a report.
Second contact and fight near Oregon Park
Police said that roughly 20 minutes after officers cleared the initial call, they received information that the suspect might be near Oregon Park, in the 700 block of Northeast 30th Avenue. Two officers responded and located the suspect at about 10:27 a.m. Police said the suspect “almost immediately” began fighting with the officers.
During the struggle, officers radioed that the suspect was attempting to take an officer’s firearm from its holster. The fight lasted nearly seven minutes before additional officers arrived and the suspect was taken into custody, police said.
Why a deadly-force investigation was opened
Although police said no firearm was discharged, the bureau’s Homicide Detail responded because the level of force used by an officer met the bureau’s threshold for a deadly-force review. Police said an officer applied a neck hold during the struggle, describing it as the action that ended the fight.
Police policy treats force that impedes normal breathing or blood circulation by applying pressure to the throat or neck as deadly force, including carotid restraint or lateral vascular neck restraint holds.
Injuries and medical response
Police said the suspect did not lose consciousness and did not appear to suffer significant injuries but was transported by ambulance for a precautionary medical evaluation and remained in custody at the hospital.
Both officers were also transported for medical evaluation. Police said one officer suffered a hand injury and the other a head injury.
What happens next
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office was contacted and was expected to be consulted as the investigation continues. The bureau’s deadly-force review process typically examines the sequence of events, tactics, and compliance with policy, along with available witness accounts and evidence.
- Incident date: September 27, 2025
- Initial call location: Northeast 33rd Avenue over Interstate 84
- Struggle location: Oregon Park area, 700 block of Northeast 30th Avenue
- Police said no shots were fired
- Two officers hospitalized for evaluation; suspect also transported for evaluation