Portland police have arrested a 20-year-old suspect in connection with the fatal shooting of 34-year-old Tyron Butler in North Portland earlier this month.
Pharoah A. Hart-Williams, 20, of Portland, was taken into custody Friday evening and booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of second-degree murder and unlawful use of a weapon, according to the Portland Police Bureau.
The arrest comes one day after Butler was shot in the Portsmouth neighborhood.
Police said officers assigned to North Precinct responded at approximately 4:46 p.m. June 11 to reports of a shooting near North Fessenden Street and North Haven Avenue. When officers arrived, they found Butler injured on a sidewalk.
Emergency medical personnel transported Butler to a hospital, but he died despite lifesaving efforts.
The suspect fled the scene, and no arrests were made immediately following the shooting.
The Portland Police Bureau’s Homicide Unit launched an investigation, working alongside criminalists from the bureau’s Forensic Evidence Division to collect evidence, interview witnesses and follow up on investigative leads.
According to investigators, detectives identified Hart-Williams as a suspect and developed a plan to safely take him into custody. Members of the Special Emergency Reaction Team and Crisis Negotiation Team assisted with the arrest Friday at approximately 7:35 p.m.
Police announced Saturday that Butler’s family had been notified of the arrest.
Earlier in the investigation, the Oregon State Medical Examiner determined that Butler died from a gunshot wound and ruled his death a homicide.
Butler, a Portland resident, was identified by authorities after his family was notified of his death. The family has requested privacy as they mourn their loss.
The shooting prompted temporary street closures in the Portsmouth neighborhood while detectives processed the scene and gathered evidence.
Police have not released information regarding a possible motive, and investigators have not indicated whether Butler and the suspect knew one another.
The case remains under investigation.
Anyone with information who has not yet spoken with investigators is asked to submit a tip online or contact Portland police at 503-823-0479 and reference case number 26-169700.
