Police identify man who died in police custody in N. Portland last week

The guy who passed away in the Kenton area last Friday was identified by Portland police as 52-year-old Portland resident Damon Lamarr Johnson.

According to the Portland Police Bureau at the time, he passed away after officers responded to a report of a man acting strangely. Shortly after 10 p.m. on June 27, officers responded to a complaint stating that a man was flooding his apartment and dangling knives out of a window at a residence in an apartment complex intended for individuals transitioning out of homelessness.

Officers requested paramedics to respond to the unit shortly after arrival and stated that they were doing CPR. According to authorities the following day, the man was carried to a hospital, where he passed away in spite of life-saving procedures.

The cause and manner of death will be determined by the medical examiner, according to police officials on Friday. However, they made no announcements on the man’s cause of death or the cops who responded to the site.

The Portland Police Bureau stated in a statement that it recognizes the public’s need for information and that it is crucial that we provide what we can as soon as possible while keeping in mind the necessity for a thorough and meticulous investigation.

As is customary in Portland police when someone passes away while in officers’ custody, three officers were placed on administrative leave as soon as the incident occurred while homicide detectives started looking into the deceased.

As necessary, bureau officials stated that they will make body-worn camera footage, along with a timeline and narrative of events, available within 14 days of the incident. According to them, the event is currently being investigated by the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office.

Please get in touch with Detectives Samantha Cater at Samantha.Cater@police.portlandoregon.gov or Brent Christensen at Brent.Christensen@police.portlandoregon.gov or 503-823-2087 if you have information regarding this event and haven’t previously spoken to police.

Betsy Hammond is in charge of covering municipal governments in the Portland area, education, and state politics and government. Betsyhammond@oregonian.com is her email address.