PORTLAND, Ore. — A 51-year-old Portland man has been sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years for the fatal shooting of a passenger aboard a TriMet bus in 2021.
Wayne Conrad Thompson was sentenced on Aug. 5 in Multnomah County Circuit Court for the Aug. 8, 2021, killing of Adrian Richardson.
A Multnomah County jury found Thompson guilty of Murder in the Second Degree. Following the jury’s verdict, Judge Kelly Skye also found Thompson guilty of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and determined that he used a firearm in the commission of the crime.
The case was prosecuted by Senior Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Eric Zimmerman and Deputy District Attorney Branden Meadows.
Following the sentencing, Zimmerman said the conviction reinforces the importance of public safety on TriMet.
“Tri-Met’s ridership deserves to feel safe on the system and violence of any kind will not be tolerated. Adrian Richardson didn’t deserve to die, and Thompson’s use of deadly force was completely and utterly unjustified. Hopefully Richardson’s family can have some peace now that the trial is over.”
According to prosecutors, the shooting occurred at approximately 5:28 p.m. on Aug. 8, 2021, after Portland police responded to reports of gunfire on a TriMet bus near Southeast 26th Avenue and Southeast Hawthorne Boulevard.
Investigators said surveillance video and witness statements showed Richardson boarded the bus and began yelling slurs, profanity and other offensive remarks toward a female passenger. Thompson confronted Richardson and told him to get off the bus. When Richardson refused, Thompson pulled out a small revolver and fired multiple shots, striking Richardson.
Richardson died from his injuries a short time later.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office credited Portland Police Bureau Detective Jeff Sharp and TriMet Manager of Security Operations and Investigations Ben McClean for their investigative work on the case. Prosecutors also recognized Multnomah County victim advocate Alex Bidwell for providing support and assistance to Richardson’s family throughout the prosecution.
The victim photographs released with the sentencing announcement were provided by Richardson’s mother, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
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