A deputy with the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office shot and killed a man Wednesday night following a pursuit along Interstate 205 in Southeast Portland.
As first reported by OPB, law enforcement confirmed Friday that the fatal shooting of Wesley Chance, 32, began as a domestic disturbance call in unincorporated Clackamas County. Portland police are handling the investigation into the shooting, and reported Chance was a suspect in a domestic violence case.
According to Portland police, Clackamas County deputies tried to stop Chance while he was driving a green Subaru, but he fled, leading to a traffic pursuit that traveled northbound along the interstate. A deputy reported seeing Chance “pointing a handgun out of his window at him,” according to police.
After heading into Portland, police deployed spike strips to stop Chance, and his vehicle crashed near the Southeast Market Street overpass.
After the crash, Chance reportedly crawled out of his rolled over car, crossed the median and attempted to stop other vehicles on I-205 southbound with what appeared to be a gun. A deputy shot and killed Chance at that point, according to Portland police. An autopsy by the state medical examiner confirmed Chance died from a single gunshot wound to the chest.
“One CCSO deputy used deadly force. The involved deputy’s name will be released by the Clackamas County Sheriff’s office at a later time,” Portland police Sgt. Kevin Allen said in a statement.
A law enforcement source with knowledge of the case said the item Chance was carrying was not a real firearm. Portland police have not verified if it was a real weapon, but stated Friday deputies at the time of the shooting believed it was a gun.
Police did not report any injuries to officers.
Portland’s homicide unit responded to the scene of the shooting, along with the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office and the Multnomah County medical examiner.
The fatal shooting is the third since June 2021 involving the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office pursuing suspects. On June 7, deputies shot and killed 44-year-old Jeremiah Lee Wright, and on Sept. 27, a deputy shot and killed 26-year-old Nathan Thomas Honeycutt.
In September, Clackamas County Sheriff Angela Brandenburg implemented a policy limiting when deputies could engage in pursuits, after the chase of a shoplifting suspect resulted in a fatal hit-and-run involving a third vehicle, according to the Portland Tribune. Under the new policy, Clackamas County deputies are only supposed to engage in pursuits when they believe a person has committed a felony crime.
