[Blindside]

Portland police shot and killed a man inside a homeless shelter Saturday night, after he allegedly stole and crashed a vehicle in Southeast Portland, then burst into an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting wielding a knife.

The man, who has yet to be identified by officials, was allegedly involved in a carjacking. Police say he crashed the stolen vehicle and fled on foot. He tried to hide inside the Cityteam Ministries Portland Shelter on Southeast Grand Avenue.

A graphic video captured by a witness shows a gaggle of Portland police officers entering the shelter as people ran to the back corner of an open room. Officers shouted for the man to drop a weapon, though it is unclear if the man was armed at the time of the shooting.

Officers fired on the man after less than a minute in the room.

On Sunday morning, three witnesses told The Oregonian that the man killed by police had rushed into the shelter shirtless during an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting, waving a knife and cutting himself. "It was horrific," the man who took the video told The Oregonian. "We were all scared for our lives."

The videographer, Morgan Pickering, told The Oregonian he felt the shooting was justified. "I applaud their actions," he said. "They actually saved lives."

That is unlikely to quash controversy in a city where police have fatally shot three people in the past 16 months.

The shooting has already sparked outrage among activists and observers who have been objecting to excessive use of force and the criminalization of homelessness in recent months. It is unclear whether the man shot and killed by officers was homeless or had any association with the shelter.

The Portland Police Bureau says it will release the identities of the officers involved in the shooting Sunday. The officers will be placed on paid administrative leave pending a grand jury decision on whether the fatal shooting was legally justified.

[DaBigNob]

In Portland, of course there are protesters. I guess the police should have just let the man go on a drug induced stabbing spree.

[Pink_spyder]

Originally Posted by DaBigNob ↗

In Portland, of course there are protesters. I guess the police should have just let the man go on a drug induced stabbing spree.

Talk about "Damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation!
Kill the criminal and it's police brutality.
Don't kill him and you're accused of dereliction of duty or some other shit.
Protesters just want something to bitch about, and they don't care what it is.
I say good for the cops-that's one less piece of shit floating in the cesspool!

[Ninjavandal]

Freaking sad. So freaking

[infidel66687]

1 less jackass in the world. That's 1 down 467,378,142 to go.

[kellyhound]

John Elifritz, 48.

Elifritz, who grew up in Portland, was married and had a 12-year-old daughter. He struggled with drug use and had a previous arrest record for a range of offenses.

His friends and family are now questioning the deadly force police used as they described Elifritz as a man with a 'huge heart'.

'It doesn't make sense. It's overwhelming,' his brother David Elifritz told The Oregonian after watching the footage.

'He was stabbing himself with his knife. How could he have lunged at police?. You see the video and you think cops are supposed to be trained to handle this. There's quite a space between him and the officers.'

'The Portland Police Bureau values human life and accepts the authority to use lethal force with great reverence.

'The Police Bureau is committed to transparency and will ensure the entire investigation is released in a timely manner that does not impact the integrity of the investigation.'

Police said they haven't yet determined if the man had a weapon at the time of the shooting. They also did not say what prompted officers to shoot.

A few witnesses to the shooting said police were justified in taking lethal action. They said the Elifritz had gone into the shelter and was slashing and stabbing himself with a knife before lunging at officers.

'We were all scared for our lives,' Morgan Thomas Pickering told The Oregonian. He said the scene was 'horrific' and the man was acting erratically.

[Pink_spyder]

"A big heart" don't mean fuck-all if your brain is saturated with drugs.
He made his choice and he paid the price.

[M.F.D.B.]

Why does anyone, blame anyone, but the addict, for their addiction and drug induced shenanigans?!?

[dfgfgdfg]

lo0l his beard looks like cock and balls

[zin0]

"Police said they haven't yet determined if the man had a weapon at the time of the shooting. They also did not say what prompted officers to shoot."

This comment from the police says a lot. the fucked themselves saying shit like that. I wasn't there so i don't know if it was justified, but if he was lunging at police or people he deserved it.