Oregon Public Broadcasting

Jack Dale Collins

County prosecutors will convene a grand jury within the next few days to examine the fatal shooting of 58-year old Jack Dale Collins by a Portland police officer.

Many details surrounding the shooting remain unknown, but the city is already bracing for another wrenching debate over use of deadly force.

Julie McCurry, demonstrating against the latest fatal shooting by Portland police, creates a protest sign.

Last night, as the sun set over Portland’s west hills, several dozen people sat in a circle at a city park to talk about what they want to happen.

Among the crowd, Ibrahim Mubarak and Julie McCurry. Both say they have spent time living on the streets, and both were very upset to hear a 58-year old man had been fatally shot by a police officer Monday afternoon. 
 


Ibrahim Mubarak  “I blame this on a social segregation where you have two different types – the have against the have-nots. If you don’t have, you don’t have any rights," said Mubarak.

"This could have been handled so much differently. This person didn’t need to die," added McCurry.

Portland Police Chief Rosie Sizer has confirmed that Officer Jason Walters responded Monday after a call about a man who was yelling and making threats at the Hoyt Arboretum.

The officer arrived, Sizer said, to find the suspect covered in blood walking out of a restroom, carrying a kind of utility knife.
 


“The officer retreated and gave repeated commands to drop the knife, but the subject refused to do so. The officer and the subject moved away from the bathroom area, with the subject continuing to advance on the officer. Officer Walters fired on the subject," she said.



Since an investigation is pending, Sizer had little else to say. She did thank Walters for protecting the community.

A Bureau spokeswoman added later that police are still looking for three witnesses to the incident.

The state medical examiner. Dr. Karen Gunson says the man’s bloody appearance came from cuts the man made all over his neck, before he was confronted by police. 



For the time being, Portland Mayor Sam Adams says he’s reserving judgment on what he called a very sad situation. “I’m pleased that the police said from almost the first moment, they brought along outside law enforcement agencies to investigate along with them what exactly happened," he said.
 


Adams said Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman has asked the Multnomah County DA’s office to release transcripts of any future grand jury sessions.

As the city waits to hear more of the story, a grand jury is likely to hear presentations on the shooting within the next week or so.