A provided photo showing damage to a police vehicle, one of at least 15 Portland police vehicles burned early Thursday, May 2, 2024, at the police bureau's northeast Portland training center, near the airport. Officials suspect arson.
Courtesy of Portland Police Bureau
At least 15 Portland police cars were burned in a suspected arson after midnight Thursday morning, drawing condemnation from Oregon’s governor and Multnomah County’s chief prosecutor.
The cars and SUVs were found burning at the bureau’s training division near Portland International Airport when firefighters were called to the scene before 2 a.m.
Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt said the arson is under investigation. ”If we’re able to develop suspects, make arrests, we’re going to take those cases very seriously in my office. We’ll be working closely with fire investigators,” he said.
Gov. Tina Kotek issued a statement saying the state is prepared to “exercise the full extent of the law” after the fire endangered first responders. Kotek’s statement also noted reports of vandalism at Portland State University associated with protests on campus, and other vandalism that affected downtown Portland businesses overnight.
“I have absolutely no tolerance for discriminatory harassment, violence, or property damage,” she said.
There are no reports of injuries from the arson response, according to police. The fire was quickly extinguished. The training center building itself, located in the 14900 block of Northeast Airport Way, was undamaged.