A U.S. Marshals fugitive task force shot a man in North Portland on Tuesday as they were trying to arrest him.
The task force was executing a warrant issued by the Oregon Department of Corrections that stated Jonathan Crowley, 31, had absconded from correctional supervision with Multnomah County’s probations office. The warrant was issued on Sept. 24, the U.S. Marshals Service said in a statement.
The shooting took place near North Lombard Street and Newell Avenue around 3:30 p.m.
Crowley “used his vehicle to threaten law enforcement officers” and was shot by a deputy marshal, the agency said in its statement.
Crowley received medical attention on the scene and was taken to a hospital. He’s expected to survive, according to the U.S. Marshals’ statement.
A law enforcement source with knowledge of the case, but not authorized to speak on the record, said Crowley was behind the wheel of a vehicle when officers tried to arrest him. Crowley allegedly revved his engine and then drove toward the deputy marshal, who responded by firing a single shot, which hit Crowley.
Taskforce members, according to the law enforcement source, identified themselves and had the lights and sirens of their vehicles on, as well as their weapons drawn.
A witness to the shooting said he was working on his car across the street when “the officers converged in all these undercover trucks.”
“I didn’t hear the cops say freeze or nothing,” said the man, who only wanted to be identified as Jay. “They didn’t say freeze or put your weapon down. And it was a single shot. One cop shot him.”
A second witness described a similar account of the shooting but also asked not to be identified.
Portland Police said they were investigating and were not involved in the shooting itself.
Fugitive task forces are made up of federal and local law enforcement officers working closely together. Roughly six task force members were on the scene at the time of Tuesday’s shooting, including deputy marshals and Oregon State Police, a law enforcement source said. It wasn’t clear if other local law enforcement agencies who are on also part of the task force may have been present at the time of the shooting.
Family members at the scene also confirmed to OPB the victim was Crowley, who they said had recently been released from custody.
“They won’t tell me if my nephew is alive or dead or whatever,” Ken Morgan, Crowley’s uncle, said. “Cops don’t ask questions first. They shoot first and then ask questions later. Something’s got to be done differently.”
Morgan said he and Crowley had both lived in Portland’s St. Johns neighborhood their entire lives.
Morgan said he did not know of any outstanding warrants on his nephew. He also said Crowley was unarmed during the encounter.
