Portland Oregon Police Use K-9, Robot, Tear Gas to End Hourslong Standoff

Police arrested a 44-year-old man Wednesday afternoon, two days after he prompted a standoff in Northwest Portland that forced businesses to evacuate and residents to shelter in place.

The man — whom police have declined to identify and whose name has not yet appeared in jail records (Editor's note: The suspect has been identified as Raul Nava, Jr., 44) — was inside a tent at Northwest 21st Avenue and Hoyt Street when police surrounded him in armored vehicles around 2 p.m.

Over the course of two-plus hours, crisis negotiators communicated with the man. Officers also used a K9 unit, a robot and tear gas to compel the man to leave the tent, said Sgt. Kevin Allen, a Portland Police Bureau spokesperson.

As the situation unfolded near Metropolitan Learning Center, a K-12 school, several passersby stopped to see what was happening, recording and chatting among themselves. A foul smell lingered in the air briefly and a large plume of smoke traveled over Northwest 21st Avenue after police deployed the gas.

Two days earlier, police said they spotted the man in Northwest Portland and tried to arrest him on a felony warrant out of Clackamas County for identity theft and a misdemeanor resisting arrest warrant from Multnomah County.

One of two knives seized by Portland, OR, police Wednesday after officers apprehended a man wanted on a felony warrant following an hourslong standoff two days earlier.

But the man used pepper spray on officers and lunged at them with a knife before running off around 6 p.m. Officers used a Taser on the man and fired a 40 mm foam round at him. He escaped to a nearby pizza parlor on Northwest 21st Avenue and Irving Street, where he stayed for several hours after barricading himself against a door with a table.

By 10 p.m. the Police Bureau said officers decided to “disengage” as they determined he was no longer a threat to the public. Central Precinct Commander Brian Hughes defended the call, saying he believed the police were further agitating the man. Some officers remained on the scene to make sure things stayed calm, Hughes said.

The man was taken into custody around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday. Although police said he was not injured during the arrest, officers escorted him to a hospital for evaluation.

Police Chief Bob Day said in a press briefing at 5 p.m. that he prioritized arresting the man because he posed a risk to himself and the community.

“I don’t see this as an ongoing typical response to incidents but we will continue to evaluate each one as they come,” Day said.

The man now faces allegations of attempted assault on a police officer, unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful use of mace, menacing, escape in the third degree and disorderly conduct in the second degree.

Graham Craft, the executive director of nearby William Temple House, which operates a food pantry and mental health clinic, said he spotted a lot of police activity in front of the building between 2 and 3 p.m. His first concern, he said, was for his clients and volunteers.

“We were basically scrambling to get in touch with clients and let them know you can come, it seems to be safe,” Craft said. “You have to use a different door.”

The school closed its perimeter as police attempted to arrest the man, and when classes ended a school liaison officer helped release students to the south side of the campus, away from the activity.

_____________

Visit oregonlive.com.

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.