Portland, OR. – Official Release: On Wednesday, April 23, 2025 at 5:58 p.m., Portland Police Officers from East Precinct and the Focused Intervention Team (FIT), responded to a report of a shooting at Southeast 106th Avenue and Southeast Stark Street. Officers found evidence of gunfire, including 16 ammunition casings, but no victims or suspects at the scene. A short time later, officers were notified that a man was dropped at a nearby hospital with gunshot wounds.
Officers obtained a description of a vehicle used by someone who dropped the victim at the hospital and an alert officer spotted that vehicle. The officer attempted to stop the driver, but he eluded at high speed. Due to the danger to the community and involved officers, they did not initiate a pursuit of the driver hoping he would slow down and stop recklessly driving on public streets. Unfortunately, he chose to continue driving recklessly and crashed his car at Northeast 122nd Avenue and Northeast Glisan Street. The driver ran off into the neighborhood. Officers quickly set up a perimeter from East Burnside Street to Northeast Glisan Street, Northeast 122nd Avenue to Northeast 127th Avenue. Officers notified residents of the area of the potential danger using the Public Alerts system, requesting that they shelter-in-place with doors and windows locked. Additional resources were summoned, including the Air Support Unit, Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS or drone) Unit, K9 Unit, and on duty SERT members.
Following a careful, methodical search, officers located the suspect hiding under a deck and he was arrested. The community was notified through Public Alerts that the shelter in place request was no longer in effect. ECST Detectives responded to the scene. The investigation revealed that the person arrested was not believed to be involved in the shooting. However, DeShawn R. Nichols, 30, of Portland, was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC) on an outstanding arrest warrant and other charges related to eluding the police and causing danger to the public (Attempt to Elude Police By Vehicle, Attempt to Elude Police on Foot, Reckless Driving, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Failure to Perform the Duties of a Driver-Property Damage). A search of the car that Nichols was driving resulted in the location and seizure of a stolen gun.
The shooting victim, a 41-year-old male, had serious, potentially life-threatening injuries, and he was transported to a different hospital by ambulance for advanced trauma care. He is recovering at the hospital and expected to survive his injuries.
Witnesses provided helpful information to ECST investigators and evidence found led them to identify a suspect, Amir J. Christianson, 21, of Portland. In the evening of Tuesday, April 29, 2025, Detectives located Christianson and called in SERT (along with the Crisis Negotiation Team or CNT), who successfully arrested him.
A search warrant was served in the 2500 block of Northeast 15th Avenue by Detectives who located two handguns (photo). They were seized as evidence and will be tested.
During the investigation of the shooting and the subsequent search warrants, Detectives found information about other crimes committed by Christianson against members of his family. He was booked into the MCDC on charges of Attempted Murder in the Second Degree, Assault in the First Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree-Domestic Violence, Using a Child in Display of Sexually Explicit Conduct, and Encouraging Child Sexual Abuse in the Second Degree.
The investigation continues. If anyone has information about this case or crimes committed by Christianson, they’re asked to email imetips@police.portlandoregon.gov“>crimetips@police.portlandoregon.gov attn: ECST and reference case number 25-105207.
In addition, information about this or any felony crime can be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers of Oregon. Anyone wishing to submit a secure and anonymous tip regarding any unsolved felony crime should visit the Crime Stoppers of Oregon website or visit the App Store and download P3 Tips for your mobile device. Crime Stoppers of Oregon offers cash rewards of up to $2,500 cash for information, reported to Crime Stoppers, that leads to an arrest in any unsolved felony crime and tipsters remain anonymous.
Portland’s community notification system is called PublicAlerts. Click this link to sign up. PublicAlerts sends information by text, email, and voice message about how to stay safe during an emergency.
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