The Portland Police Bureau says it is reviewing a case in which an officer struck a man in the head with a shotgun while responding to a report of a stolen car.
The department said the 32-year-old man was reaching under the car seat Saturday night when the officer struck him, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported. The officers had already removed a knife from the vehicle and later found a replica of a weapon in the car.
Three officers responded to a backup request from an unarmed support specialist who had verified a report of a stolen car parked under an overpass off Interstate 405 in northwest Portland, the bureau said.
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Police said an officer ordered him to get out of the vehicle, but he did not comply and began pushing police vehicles that were blocking the road with the stolen car. Officers deflated the vehicle’s tires to prevent the man from driving away.
The Portland Police Bureau is investigating an officer’s use of force while responding to a carjacking case.
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As the man approached the floor of the car, an officer struck him in the side of the head with his shotgun, the office said. Officers then removed him from the vehicle.
Police said he told officers that he had ingested drugs. He was transported to the hospital for treatment and observation before being booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center.
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The incident is being investigated as a deadly use of force, which includes the use of a firearm, the use of a carotid neck restraint, or a blow to the head, neck, or throat with a hard object.
