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A chill ran through Portland on Jan. 8 as word spread across the city that a Border Patrol agent had shot two people in a car on the campus of Adventist Health Portland. Arriving on the heels of a federal immigration agent slaying a woman in Minneapolis, the moment felt especially perilous. For several days, residents had more questions than answers about who had been shot, the circumstances of the traffic stop, and how Portlanders would respond. By press deadline, both an emotional Portland Police Chief Bob Day and unabashed officials of the U.S. Department Homeland Security agreed that the wounded people had ties to Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, although a lack of video footage left the incident itself shrouded from public view. Our coverage of what unfolded can be found here. Here’s what our readers had to say in real time:
Radio Waves, via wweek.com: “If indeed the wounded individuals were here illegally and presumably loosely affiliated with organized crime, it doesn’t mean the shooting and the manner in which agents tried to apprehend them was justified, appropriate or even effective.
“If they were believed to be members of a gang, wouldn’t they have been considered armed and dangerous with a higher risk of engaging in a shoot-out, in which case, why would agents choose to confront them in the parking lot of a medical clinic? And why choose to confront them while they are still in the truck, which can not only be weaponized and used to escape, but also provides cover for a potential shoot-out? Agents put themselves and innocent bystanders in harm’s way.
“Also, if they were part of a prostitution ring, where are the arrests of the remaining parts of it? And wouldn’t it be better to have apprehended these two individuals quietly so as not to tip off the rest of the organization? And what about possibly using them as informants? If they had gone about it discreetly, that could have been an option.
“Seriously, if the goal is to root out organized crime, it’s a rather stupid way of going about it.
“It is, however, very effective at stoking anxieties on both the right and the left, and in both immigrant and nonimmigrant communities, and at provoking reactions rather than responses.”
Virginia Grosso, via email: “I have lived in Oregon all my life (not Portland) and am stumped as to why this police chief CRIED as he told the truth: that these shot-up Venezuelans were in fact in the U.S. without legal presence and are linked to criminal activity. These facts will support the agents in any word-against-word weighing of the evidence, absent film. Police chief sounds as if he is DISAPPOINTED that ICE caught the bad guys. Can any journalist explain this phenomenon to the citizenry? Oregon’s multifaceted failure as compared to other states is linked to this psychology, no question.
“Pretty convinced there is no hope for Portland or the mentality in general. Imagine. Rooting for the dangerous crooks and disrespecting the bravery of those charged with finding and removing the crooks. Just imagine.”
Nasty Woman, via wweek.com: “Can we, for a moment, focus on the methods being employed by the federal agents, regardless of their motive? With the resources available to them, do they really need to stage these apprehensions at the entrance of a busy hospital emergency entrance? Or shoot drivers who become more likely to injure someone when they lose control of their vehicle?
“Law enforcement are responsible for assessing the situation and environment in which they are operating and act accordingly. Public safety should be paramount. In the last few days, we have seen little of that capacity.”
Phil Scott, via email: “Membership in a gang, Tren de Aragua, the mafia, the Communist party, whatever, is not a crime.
“Shooting someone is not standard police procedure. Usually they just ask for license and registration.
“Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
Amanda Fritz, via Bluesky: “Kudos to Chief Bob Day for telling us information as he becomes aware of it. ICE is not prosecutor, judge nor jury. They should not be shooting people. The Portland Police Bureau would have apprehended suspects and booked them for trial so they have their day in court. Thankful despite ICE they live to defend themselves.”
Marie in the Sky With Diamonds, via Bluesky: “I imagine the folks in Boston didn’t know what would happen after 1770 in the wake of the ‘Incident on King Street’ (look it up) and we don’t know what’s coming for us, but something is being triggered and we best not ignore the signs.”
Michelle Massey, via Facebook: “Can we investigate how the community was put at risk in this operation? I have owned a house in this area for years, and I would prefer if I didn’t have to worry about violence in my neighborhood coming not only from criminals, but now also the feds.”
Letters to the editor must include the author’s street address and phone number for verification. Letters must be 250 or fewer words. Submit to:
P.O. Box 10770
Portland, OR 97296
Email: amesh@wweek.com
