PORTLAND, Ore. — The suspect in a deadly April 8 shooting underneath the Burnside Bridge was arrested during the prior week on assault charges, court documents show, but was later released on bail. He is also charged with attempting to assault an officer while in jail after being arrested for the shooting.
Rizo Eonte Lucas, 18, was arrested as the suspect in a March 28 assault in the Old Town neighborhood, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed on March 29.
The affidavit summarizes several individual police reports about the incident. One officer said they responded to a call about an assault the area of Northwest 2nd Avenue and Northwest Couch Street and spoke to the caller, who said they had witnessed three or four men kicking and punching a person who was on the ground across the street.
Police spoke to the victim, who reportedly suffered a laceration on the top of his head and said he thought his wrists might have been broken. He said he did not know the people who attacked him.
Witnesses pointed police to two suspects nearby, one of whom was identified as Eicca Lucas and the other of whom refused to identify himself but was later confirmed through fingerprints to be Rizo Lucas, according to the affidavit.
Police reviewed security footage from Spyce Gentleman's Club which reportedly showed the victim being tackled to the ground and hit by multiple people, including one person who appeared to hit the victim repeatedly with a stick. Other witnesses told police Eicca Lucas hit the victim with a pool cue.
Rizo Lucas was released on a $5,000 bail, according to a motion for release and subsequent release agreement filed on March 29. The motion for release states that he was unemployed and had been homeless for the past nine months. His next court appearance had been scheduled for April 21.
The shooting on Northwest Naito Parkway under the Burnside Bridge happened just before noon on April 8. Police responded and found the victim, 33-year-old Fars Gebrehiwot, with a gunshot wound to the neck. He was taken to the hospital and later died from his injury.
Rizo Lucas was arrested a short time later and booked in Multnomah County jail without bail. He was arraigned on charges of murder in the second degree with a firearm and unlawful use of a weapon with a firearm, according to a Tuesday news release from Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt's office.
A separate court case charges Rizo Lucas with attempted assault of a public safety officer on April 15. A probable cause document states that following his arrest, Rizo Lucas was ordered to be kept under constant observation "in order to recover a bullet casing from the defendant's digestive tract."
The document states Multnomah County Sheriff's Office sergeant entered the cell to remove a blanket that was covering Lucas, and that Lucas tossed off the blanket and kicked at the sergeant's legs, then punched him while the sergeant was trying to secure his legs until other deputies helped subdue him.
