A Portland police officer struggled with a suspect with a metal pole for nearly seven minutes after the suspect tried to snatch the officer’s firearm.
By Beth Slovic. Source oregonlive.com
Portland police said a man with a metal pole who was hitting passing cars subsequently got into a struggle with officers and tried to grab one officer’s gun.
The struggle to stop him lasted nearly seven minutes and in that time one of the officers used a neck hold on the man, prompting a deadly force investigation into the officer’s actions.
“The suspect did not lose consciousness and did not appear to suffer any significant injuries,” police said. “He was transported to the hospital by ambulance as a precaution to get a medical evaluation.”
Police Bureau policy states that “physical force that impedes the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of another person by applying pressure on the throat or neck of the other person” is considered deadly force.
The bureau placed the officer on paid administrative leave as it investigates.
The struggle happened around 10:30 a.m. in Oregon Park on Northeast 30th Avenue.
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