PORTLAND, Ore. — Read the updated story here.
Portland police shot and killed a suspect early Sunday morning following a standoff at a downtown Portland apartment building that lasted several hours and prompted a shelter-in-place order within the building.
The man who died has been identified as Matthew L. Holland, 31, of Portland, according to a Portland Police Bureau (PPB) press release Tuesday. Holland's cause of death was a gunshot wound, according to the city medical examiner. His family has been notified of his death, and they are requesting privacy at this time, PPB said.
No officers were injured, and no other injuries were reported.
Police were first called to 140 Southwest Columbia Street, the address of the Portland Astoria apartments, just after 12:30 a.m. Sunday after reports of gunfire from inside an apartment. The Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT) — Portland's version of SWAT — and Crisis Negotiation Team were later called to the scene on the 8th floor.
According to the Portland Police Bureau, officers arrived within six minutes, finding bullet holes in the hallway. As they tried to narrow down where the shots had come from, they heard "voices yelling" within one of the apartments, then more gunshots.
Police issued a public alert asking residents of the building to stay inside and lock their doors unless evacuated by police. The Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT) — Portland's version of SWAT — and Crisis Negotiation Team were called in just after 1 a.m.
PPB said that officers continued to hear gunshots as they got into position around the apartment. Crisis negotiators tried to make phone calls to whoever was inside the unit while police worked on a rescue plan. SERT officers took up a position across the street and tried to get a look through the windows.
For over an hour, the yelling and gunshots stopped. PPB said that officers used that time to evacuate the nearby apartments, getting residents somewhere safe and warm. Police continued trying to make contact with someone inside the unit, to no avail.
At 2:40 a.m., PPB said, the shooting started again. A neighbor reported that bullets were coming in through the walls of their apartment. Soon one of the officers outside opened fire into the unit.
Inside the building, officers breached the door and searched the unit. They found a man injured and began performing first aid, PPB said, but he died at the scene. An AR-15-style rifle was found near his body, and there were bullet holes scattered around the walls. No one else was inside the unit.
Officers were able to confirm that no one else had been hurt during the tense incident, and residents of the building were allowed to return to their apartments around 4:45 a.m. The Portland Police Homicide Unit and Multnomah County District Attorney's office responded to investigate.
The officer involved in the shooting has been placed on administrative leave, which is standard protocol, police said. Their name will be released within 14 days.
“Every time a gun is fired in our neighborhoods, whether by a community member or a police officer, it affects us all in profound ways,” said PPB Chief Bob Day. “I recognize the impact these events have. There’s no question this was an extraordinarily dangerous and challenging incident, and I appreciate the dedicated service of the police bureau members involved. To the community, I pledge that we are investigating this fully and will share more information as soon as appropriate while protecting the integrity of the investigation.”
The investigation remains open and active, PPB said. Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact Detective William Winters at william.winters@police.portlandoregon.gov, 503-823-0466; or Detective Jason Koenig at jason.koenig@police.portlandoregon.gov, 503-823-0889, and reference case number 24-10954.
