PORTLAND, Ore. – In July, a tense manhunt came to an end when Portland police cornered and fatally shot the suspect who had fled Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center after killing a security officer. The grand jury transcripts, released on Friday, revealed that the 33-year-old suspect, PoniaX Kane Calles, was shot and killed in a van in Gresham, Oregon.
According to police testimony before the grand jury, three Portland police officers fired a total of four rounds from their rifles as Calles stepped out of the van. Calles was pronounced dead at the scene, and an autopsy confirmed that he died from gunshot wounds.
Calles had received a ride from a friend after fleeing the hospital. When police stopped the van, the driver surrendered, but Calles refused to get out. He called a 911 dispatcher and proceeded to read his “last will and testament” before yelling at the officers who surrounded the van. Tactical squad officers eventually used armored vehicles and robots to box in the van.
During the standoff, police crisis negotiators attempted to communicate with Calles but were repeatedly hung up on. At one point, Calles threw an empty gasoline can out of the van and attempted to conceal himself with a car windshield sunscreen. Suddenly, he moved to the driver’s seat, prompting officers to open fire when they saw him holding a silver gun.
Officer Seth Wingfield, who was positioned in an armored vehicle, testified that he fired the first shot when he saw Calles pointing the gun out of the driver’s window. Calles fell to the ground but was still moving and reached for his gun. Officer Timothy Hoerauf then fired two shots, and Officer Justin Thurman fired a single shot when Calles tried to get up and point the gun at officers.
There was no evidence that Calles fired his gun. A Multnomah County grand jury concluded that there was no criminal wrongdoing in the shooting.
Prior to the confrontation at the hospital, Calles had shot and killed unarmed security guard Bobby Smallwood in the hallway outside the maternity unit. Hospital officials described Calles as uncooperative and a threat to the newborn’s safety.
In conclusion, a tense manhunt in Portland, Oregon came to a fatal end when police cornered and shot the suspect who had killed a security officer at Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center. The grand jury transcripts revealed the details of the standoff and the actions taken by police officers to apprehend the suspect. The grand jury found that there was no criminal wrongdoing in the shooting.