PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Police officers took three people into custody Friday during a patrol aimed at curbing summertime violence.
The mission, known as “Summer Cool Down,” is a Portland Police effort that establishes proactive patrols designed to engage with community members deemed at high risk of becoming involved in gun violence , whether as victims or offenders.
At approximately 11:06 p.m., officers on the mission carried out a traffic stop on a black Tesla Model S near Southeast 29th Avenue and Southeast Belmont Street.
Officers identified one of the occupants as a suspect in an armed robbery connected to a gun case. That individual was taken into custody, and officers observed several firearms in the vehicle within reach of the three remaining occupants. Portland Police said the three were ordered to exit the car.
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The driver refused to comply, according to police, and drove off. Officers then prepared to deflate the Tesla’s tires. “The goal was to prevent dangerous driving during the suspect’s efforts to elude that put the entire community as extreme risk,” police said of the tire-deflating devices.
Even with their tires deflated, the driver continued “extremely recklessly,” police said, speeding away despite the fact that no officers were actively pursuing the vehicle.
A Portland Police Air Support Unit followed the suspects until the driver crashed the Tesla near Southeast 26th Avenue and Southeast Ankeny Street. The three occupants bailed out and fled into the surrounding neighborhood. No injuries were reported from the collision.
Police established a wide perimeter around the neighborhood and used the PublicAlerts system to inform residents in the area about the police activity, urging them to shelter-in-place , meaning keeping all doors and windows closed and locked, and calling 911 if they spotted anyone hiding nearby.
One suspect was apprehended in a nearby yard, while the air support unit and officers operating drones tracked the remaining fugitives over the course of several hours. A K9 unit was also deployed. Officers located and arrested a second suspect.
The third suspect was not immediately located, police said, though the investigation remains ongoing.
During the flight from the vehicle, the occupants threw the firearms officers had previously observed out of the windows. Those weapons were later recovered by police. Additional firearms and ammunition were found inside the car.
Five illegally possessed guns were seized by police.
The perimeter was lifted and the shelter-in-place order was rescinded around 1:40 a.m.
“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 Portland Police Bureau Chief Bob 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.”
All three suspects were booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center.
- Aerion L. Purifoy, 20, of Portland, was arrested on charges of robbery in the first degree, unlawful possession of firearms, and possession of an illegal weapon.
- Asantae A. Parris, 20, was arrested on charges of unlawful possession of firearms, attempt 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 arrested on charges of unlawful possession of firearms, attempt to elude police on foot, interfering with a peace officer, and possession of an illegal weapon.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to email [email protected] attn: FIT and reference case number 26-245118.
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