Portland police believe a shopper found dead Monday in a Fred Meyer parking lot in Northeast Portland was shot and killed while trying to stop a purse snatching.
The initial investigation …
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Portland police believe a shopper found dead Monday in a Fred Meyer parking lot in Northeast Portland was shot and killed while trying to stop a purse snatching.
The initial investigation suggests Jonathan Trent, 47, witnessed the robbery and intervened, police said Thursday. A suspect or suspects shot him before fleeing, they said.
“I speak for everyone at the Police Bureau when I say our hearts go out to Mr. Trent’s family and friends,” said Police Bureau spokesman Mike Benner. “He went to the grocery store for a quick errand and should’ve returned home but he didn’t.”
Police have not announced any arrests and declined further comment.
Officers responded to a robbery call at the address of the store, 1111 Northeast 102nd Avenue, about 4 p.m. and determined someone had stolen a woman’s purse. Benner said the robbery happened somewhere outside the Fred Meyer, but he didn’t know if it was in the lot.
When the robber or robbers fled, they fired shots, police said. Officers found Trent in the parking lot. He was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was declared dead, police said.
Police declined to release information about possible suspects.
The fatal shooting in the Hazelwood neighborhood is the first homicide of 2025. The first homicide last year also occurred in Hazelwood.
Wahneta Logue, 73, said she saw Trent lying on the ground when she and her husband left the grocery store. Fred Meyer staff rushed outside to him as several people stood around Trent, including one who cut his shirt apparently to check for injuries, she said.
But Trent did not move, Logue said. “It’s so very, very sad,” she said.
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