Two people were shot by US border patrol agents outside a hospital in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday, a day after an ICE officer fatally shot a woman in Minneapolis. The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) confirmed the victims were taken to hospital, but their conditions remain unknown.
Police initially responded to reports of a shooting near Adventist Hospital, then learned a man had called 911 from about 3 miles away, saying he and his wife had been shot. Officers found a male and female with gunshot wounds, applied tourniquets, and summoned paramedics. The Department of Homeland Security said agents stopped a vehicle to search for a suspected undocumented immigrant linked to a Venezuelan gang, and opened fire when the driver allegedly tried to run them over.
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson criticised the federal account, stating: 'There was a time when we could take them at their word. That time is long past.' He joined Democratic Representative Maxine Dexter in calling for ICE to suspend operations in the city. Dexter, a doctor, said both victims are alive but their injuries are unknown. She accused ICE of injecting 'terror, chaos, and cruelty' and demanded a local police investigation without federal interference.
Oregon State Senator Kayse Jama, who lives near the scene, told federal agents: 'This is Oregon. We do not need you, you are not welcome and you need to get the hell out of our community.' Civil rights advocate Zakir Khan urged the hospital to release any security footage. A witness reported seeing federal officers corner a Toyota pickup in a parking lot before the driver reversed and struck a car.
The shooting has heightened tensions in Portland, which saw anti-immigration enforcement protests late last year. The FBI is leading the investigation.
