Portland Police Fatally Shoot Eric Hurtado, 35; Family Demands Answers

Portland police shot and killed 35-year-old Eric Hurtado outside Hotel Vintage after reports he stabbed two people with a box cutter. His family, who flew in from California, is questioning whether lethal force was necessary.

Family Questions Portland Police Shooting of Eric Hurtado Outside Hotel Vintage

Portland police fatally shot 35-year-old Eric J. Hurtado on Thursday afternoon outside Hotel Vintage on Southwest Broadway, according to oregonlive.com. Officers had responded to reports that Hurtado had stabbed two strangers with a box cutter. One witness said Hurtado charged at an officer with the knife before shots were fired. Police subsequently seized a box cutter with a broken blade.

The two stabbing victims suffered serious but non-life-threatening injuries. An employee of the nearby St. Honoré Boulangerie was wounded in the neck and shoulder; another man was seen bleeding from his head.

Family Flew to Portland Immediately

Hurtado's family in Southern California learned of his death from a Portland police detective who called on Friday. They flew to Portland immediately. His mother, Noemi Aderley, stood Sunday beside the spot where her son was killed.

"We just want clarity, answers," Aderley said. "Was it necessary — for the force that was involved?"

The family said they had been aware Hurtado was struggling. In the weeks leading up to his death, they said he was displaying signs of serious mental illness — claiming he owned many homes, that he had multiple children, and that people were coming after him.

"He said, 'I feel like everybody's against me, like they're after me,'" recalled his sister, Alexis Hurtado.

His mother said she last spoke with him on Tuesday, two days before the shooting. She had been arranging a flight home for him on 22 October.

"I told him, 'Just hold on. I'm getting your ticket. Just hold on. We'll get you back to California … We'll put you in a treatment center,'" she said.

Recent Prison Release and Mental Health History

Hurtado had been released from state prison in Salem roughly two months before his death, after serving a two-year sentence for delivery of a controlled substance — 8.8 grams of fentanyl — within 1,000 feet of a school at Southwest 13th Avenue and Yamhill Street, court records show. He was assigned a post-prison supervision officer and was living at the Shoreline Apartments on West Burnside Street near Second Avenue.

His family said he had struggled with mental health issues for about ten years but had never received a formal diagnosis. His relatives said they had spoken with his post-prison supervision officer about transferring his supervision back to California, closer to family, so they could arrange treatment. They were told the interstate transfer process could take several months.

His family's last in-person visit with him in Portland was on 22 August. During that visit and in subsequent phone calls, they said, his behaviour had become markedly erratic.

'He Was So Much More Than the Last Moments of His Life'

Hurtado grew up in Yucca Valley, California, the youngest of four children. He had come to Oregon about three years ago and had built connections in Portland through Narcotics Anonymous meetings, his family said. He had one son, a 15-year-old who lives with his mother in Tennessee.

Those who knew him described a man who loved to dance, play guitar, sing, and make people laugh. When anxious, his sister said, he would sometimes turn to his Buddhist faith and meditate to ground himself.

On Sunday morning, his parents and siblings attended services at Calvary Chapel in Tigard. They then travelled to downtown Portland and gathered at the site of the shooting. They prayed, lit candles beside a bouquet of dahlias, and hung a framed photo montage near the entrance to Hotel Vintage. The images showed family moments from their August visit, a day trip to St. Helens, and earlier photographs of Hurtado with his son and siblings.

"He was so much more than the last moments of his life," the family's message on the montage read. "He was a son. A brother. A father. An uncle. He was loved by many. He was 35 years old with a life ahead of him. … He deserved a chance to receive help."

Police Chief Calls Death 'a Failure'

Portland Police Chief Bob Day visited businesses affected by the violence late last week. He described Hurtado's death as "a failure."

"It's a failure for us as a community," Day said. "So many systems had to fail for this to get to this point."

Police spokesperson Mike Benner confirmed that Portland detectives are continuing to investigate the shooting.

Hurtado's relatives said they do not dispute that officers may have felt threatened. They said they are deeply troubled that he harmed two strangers and are not seeking to diminish the impact on those victims. They are, however, asking for a fuller account of the encounter and questioning whether non-lethal force could have been an option.

"The man some in Portland encountered last Thursday," Alexis Hurtado said, "wasn't my brother at all."

The family had hoped to view his body over the weekend but were told they would need to wait until he was transferred to a funeral home on Sunday afternoon.

Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)