PORTLAND, Ore. — A teenager who was arrested and charged with attempted murder following a shooting and police chase on Monday is now facing additional charges stemming from a car crash that killed two other teens in early July, according to a Tuesday news release from the Portland Police Bureau.
Julius Whitehurst, 18, has been charged with 14 counts relating to the crash, police said, including two counts of first-degree manslaughter, one count of second-degree assault, three counts of third-degree assaults, two counts of failure to perform duties of a driver with a fatality, four counts of failure to perform duties of a driver with injuries, one count of driving under the influence of intoxicants and one count of reckless driving.
The new charges are in addition to separate charges of attempted murder, unlawful use of a weapon and unlawful possession of a firearm that were filed Monday after the shooting and police chase incident that ended with the arrest of Whitehurst and two other teens in the Laurelhurst neighborhood.
In court on Tuesday, Whitehurst pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Fatal car crash
The crash occurred on the evening of July 5 at Southeast Foster Road and 96th Avenue, which is the onramp to Interstate 205. Police were called to the crash scene at about 9:40 p.m. and arrived to find a rollover crash involving two vehicles, with two people dead and two others injured.
The two injured people were taken to a hospital, but police did not release the identity of any of the people involved at the time. The Tuesday news release identified the deceased victims as 16-year-old Onesty L Jones and 13-year-old Kamareon Smith.
The Tuesday news release did not include any new information about the circumstances of the crash and did not specify how police concluded that Whitehurst was responsible, only stating that he was charged "after an exhaustive investigation" that was coordinated with the Multnomah County District Attorney's office.
Shooting and police chase
Whitehurst was arrested following an incident that began early Monday morning when Portland police officers stationed near Northeast 82nd Avenue and Fremont Street heard what sounded like multiple gunshots. The officers were initially unsure if the shots had been fired at them or someone else, according to a PPB news release.
They spotted a vehicle "involved in the shooting" and attempted to stop it, but the driver sped off, resulting in a chase that ended when the vehicle crashed near Southeast 40th Avenue and Burnside. Three suspects ran from the vehicle, prompting police to establish a perimeter in the Laurelhurst neighborhood. Reverse 911 calls were used to notify residents to remain indoors while police searched.
The three suspects were eventually found in a backyard and taken into custody without incident. Police later identified Whitehurst as one of the suspects, announced the charges and said he had been booked in Multnomah County jail. Police said another suspect, a 15-year-old male, was also charged with attempted murder. The third suspect, also a teen, was released to relatives.
Police said they recovered an AR-15 rifle and shell casings, and also found evidence of a shooting on 82nd Avenue in the form of a bullet hole in the window of a Domino's pizza shop near the intersection.