Three people were arrested and five firearms were recovered after a traffic stop in Southeast Portland led to a vehicle fleeing, a crash and a multi-hour police search that prompted a shelter-in-place alert for residents in the Buckman neighborhood, according to the Portland Police Bureau.
The incident began at about 11:06 p.m. Friday near Southeast 29th Avenue and Southeast Belmont Street, where officers assigned to PPB’s Focused Intervention Team and Enhanced Community Safety Team stopped a black Tesla Model S while conducting patrols as part of the bureau’s ongoing Summer Cool Down gun violence reduction effort.
According to police, officers determined that one of the vehicle’s occupants was a suspect in a previous armed robbery and took that person into custody. During the arrest, officers reported seeing multiple firearms inside the vehicle and within reach of the three remaining occupants.
Police said officers instructed the occupants to remain in the vehicle, but the driver fled from the scene.
Officers had placed tire-deflation devices in anticipation that the vehicle might leave, according to PPB. Despite having deflated tires, police said the driver continued through the neighborhood at high speeds. Officers did not pursue the vehicle, but PPB’s Air Support Unit tracked it from above.
The Tesla later crashed near Southeast 26th Avenue and Southeast Ankeny Street. Police said the three occupants got out of the vehicle and ran into the surrounding neighborhood. No injuries were reported in connection with the crash.
Officers established a perimeter around the area, and residents received a PublicAlerts notification asking them to shelter in place, keep their doors and windows locked and call 911 if they saw anyone hiding nearby.
One person was arrested shortly afterward in a nearby yard. Police continued searching the neighborhood using officers on the ground along with the Air Support Unit, drones and a police K9.
A second person was located and arrested after several hours, according to police. PPB initially reported that a third person who fled from the vehicle had not been immediately located. However, police ultimately reported three arrests stemming from the incident, including the person taken into custody during the initial traffic stop.
The perimeter was lifted and the shelter-in-place advisory was canceled at approximately 1:40 a.m.
Police said firearms were thrown from the vehicle as it fled and were later recovered. Officers also reported finding additional firearms and ammunition inside the Tesla. In all, PPB said five unlawfully possessed firearms were seized.
Aerion L. Purifoy, 20, of Portland, was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of first-degree robbery, unlawful possession of firearms and possession of an illegal weapon.
Asantae A. Parris, 20, was booked on charges of unlawful possession of firearms, attempting to elude police on foot, interfering with a peace officer, felon in possession of a firearm and possession of an illegal weapon.
Marcus T. Wright II, 25, was booked on charges of unlawful possession of firearms, attempting to elude police on foot, interfering with a peace officer and possession of an illegal weapon.
The charges are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Portland Police Chief Bob Day credited officers involved in the operation and said the response required significant police resources.
“While we cannot know for sure what could have happened, we have every reason to believe that this policework prevented one or more shootings,” said Day. “My thanks to all the Portland Police members involved in this successful effort, especially FIT for their work to prevent gun violence. There were a tremendous number of officers needed to achieve this outcome, and I appreciate the community’s understanding that other calls for service had to wait while we worked through this.”
Friday’s operation was part of PPB’s Summer Cool Down initiative, a series of patrol and enforcement efforts the bureau says are intended to interrupt cycles of gun violence and connect with people considered at high risk of becoming involved in shootings, either as victims or perpetrators.
The Focused Intervention Team led an earlier two-day Summer Cool Down operation July 17 and 18 that involved multiple PPB units along with the Gresham Police Department, Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, Multnomah County Parole and Probation and Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office.
According to PPB, officers recovered seven firearms, made 11 arrests, issued seven citations, towed 10 vehicles and conducted parole compliance checks during that operation.
Among the incidents during the July operation was the arrest of a 22-year-old man wanted in connection with an injury shooting in May. Police also arrested a 19-year-old man accused of shooting a 21-year-old near Northeast 148th Avenue and Northeast Burnside Street. The victim was expected to survive, according to police.
“This mission demonstrates what can be accomplished when law enforcement agencies work together with a shared commitment to reducing gun violence and protecting our community,” said Day following the July operation. “We remain committed to holding violent offenders accountable while continuing to build safer neighborhoods through proactive enforcement and strong partnerships.”
Police said the investigation into Friday’s Buckman incident remains ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact PPB and reference case number 26-245118.
