The suspect in a weeklong manhunt for a man accused of shooting two Portland police officers was apprehended Monday morning after a standoff, the Portland Police Bureau announced.
The standoff closed Northeast 82nd Avenue between Northeast Columbia Boulevard and Northeast Alderwood Road at around 6 a.m.
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The tactical team shouted out to the subject, who was in a wooded area, for around 30 minutes before arresting him at around 7 a.m. A FOX 12 crew was present when he was apprehended.
“Our tactical team took him into custody. We did not use force, and we were able to take him into custody,” Portland Police Chief Bob Day said. “The police bureau is not about retribution. It’s about staying with the rule of law and a constitutionally oriented police bureau.”
Police identified the suspect as Eric Oelkers, 41, who has a criminal record dating back to 2019, including gun crimes, robbery, and vandalism. He is now facing accusations for attempted murder and assault.
Day reported that the department got over 190 tips in the first 48 hours following the shooting.
“They believed they saw a person that could be consistent with the photos we released immediately after the incident, so from there we were able to build on that to lead us where we were,” said PPB Detective Sgt. Matt Jacobsen.
Sgt. Jacobsen stated that cops had been monitoring the area for the previous 48 hours before making the arrest on Monday morning.
The two officers were shot just before 8:30 p.m. on January 19 on Northeast Clackamas Street, between Northeast 16th Avenue and Northeast 17th Avenue. Officers responded to a threat with a weapon report and apprehended the subject, who allegedly fired bullets at them.
One officer was hit twice, and the other was hit once. Both were taken to a nearby hospital.
Residents near the gunshot site said the entire area felt like a crime scene all week.
“It’s been weird. A couple of my family members were freaked out a bit because it was so close,” said Nathan Finch.
Todd Coward said, “Everybody is feeling much better knowing the search is over and that the person is caught.”
The two officers who were shot have been released from the hospital. The injured cops have not yet been identified by the bureau.
