TUALATIN, Ore. — A deputy was shot multiple times Wednesday morning while serving an eviction notice in Tualatin, the Washington County Sheriff's Office said. He was taken to Legacy Emanuel hospital and is in critical condition.
The suspect barricaded themselves in an apartment after the shooting, resulting in a standoff during which the sheriff's office urged the public to avoid the area near the Forest Rim Apartments off of Southwest Nyberg Street for several hours.
The sheriff's office said just after 1 p.m. that there was no further danger to the public, and in a news conference an hour later, WCSO Detective Anel Ceric said Washington County SWAT officers found the suspect dead inside the apartment. The suspect was not shot by the SWAT officers, he said.
The incident began at about 9:30 a.m. at the apartment complex, located next to the Nyberg Woods Shopping Center east side of Interstate 5. Deputies told dispatch at 10:21 a.m. that they were fighting with a person that they were attempting to detain inside an apartment.
Several seconds later, the deputies reported that the person had opened fire at them, hitting one of them multiple times. At least one of the deputies returned fire, but Ceric said he didn't know if the suspect was hit. The deputies involved in the incident did not know ahead of time that the suspect might be armed, he added.
Multiple law enforcement agencies responded to the scene to evacuate nearby residents during the standoff, Ceric said.
A witness at the scene told KGW that she had been out running errands Wednesday morning when she saw two police cars pull up, followed by two or three ambulances and then a swarm of police and fire department vehicles. Helicopters and SWAT teams then arrived, she said, adding that she had "never seen an accumulation of law enforcement that big."
"We're all kind of in a state of disbelief," she said.
Another witness who lives in an apartment in the area said she and her children heard gunshots while heading out to an appointment, then saw all the police arrive. She said she heard six or seven gunshots, followed by a pause and then about another dozen shots.
The Washington County Major Crimes team is investigating the incident, Ceric said, with the Beaverton Police Department serving as the lead agency.
The injured deputy was taken to Legacy Emanuel Hospital in North Portland, one of two hospitals in the Portland area with a Level 1 Trauma Center. A Life Flight helicopter could be seen parked outside the hospital late Wednesday morning, and Metro West Ambulance confirmed that it had taken a patient from the Tualatin incident to a trauma center via Life Flight. The sheriff's office said the deputy's family and Sheriff Pat Garrett were all at Legacy Emanuel.
Garrett also spoke at the news conference, which was held outside the hospital. He did not identify the injured deputy, but described him as compassionate, resilient, tenacious and "a complete professional."
"This tragedy reminds us today that police work can be very dangerous and it is — we owe our law enforcement officers a debt of gratitude for the work they do," he said.
Candlelight vigil for injured deputy
Just before sunset Wednesday night, several people gathered at the Cannery Square in Sherwood for a candlelight vigil hosted by the Sherwood Police Department. They hoped it would bring comfort and strength to the injured deputy's family and everyone who responded.
"We're here, we care and we're all praying for him," said community member Elle Harris. "You know they did their job today... and now all of our communities can come together in doing our part."
"As people gather here it's inspiring it's motivating," added Sherwood Police Chief Ty Hanlon. "I know it is very supportive for our officers to see it as well."
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