Multnomah County Sheriff

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) is investigating a stabbing that occurred on Thursday, August 8, 2024, in Wood Village.Sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of a stabbing at approximately 7:15 a.m., in the 23000 block of NE Halsey Street. When the first responding deputy arrived, she found a person with a neck injury being helped by a TriMet bus operator who stopped and got off the bus after recognizing the person was in urgent need of help. The deputy immediately began providing additional life-saving first aid. Gresham firefighters responded and took over medical care. The victim was transported to the hospital by paramedics where they remain in intensive care.Deputies took one suspect into custody, 56-year-old Michael Wayne Romine, of Wood Village. Romine was booked at the Multnomah County Detentions Center on the offenses of attempted murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree and unlawful use of a weapon. Detectives from the East County Major Crimes Team are conducting the criminal investigation. No further comment will be made at this time.

Update on August 5, 2024:On Wednesday, July 31, 2024, just before 3:00 p.m., Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office River Patrol Unit was dispatched to recover the body of a person from the Columbia River near Broughton Beach. The Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the person recovered as 53-year-old Warren Hoard.Original release on July 28, 2024:A man fell out of a boat, went under water and did not resurface. Multiple agencies responded in an effort to rescue the man, but were not able to locate him. MCSO Dive Team responded to locate and recover the man’s body. That effort was also unsuccessful. On Saturday, July 27, 2024, a little before 2:00 p.m., Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) River Patrol responded to a 911 call that was made from a boat on the Columbia river near Government Island reporting that a man had fallen out of the boat, went under water and never resurfaced. Boats from Vancouver Fire Department, Portland Fire & Rescue and Port of Portland Fire were also part of the initial response. A U.S. Coast Guard boat and helicopter also joined the search effort. After an hour of searching for the man, without success, the man was presumed drown and the rescue effort became a recovery. MCSO Dive Team responded and dove multiple locations in the area in an attempt to locate and recover the man’s body. Unfortunately, that effort was also unsuccessful. MCSO divers reported very strong currents near the bottom of the river, which made it likely that the man’s body was washed down river. Witness interviews indicate that the man who drown was intoxicated, and he was not wearing a life jacket. The man’s name is being withheld until next of kin notifications are complete. 

As Sheriff, my priority is to hold people who violate the law accountable and meet the public safety expectations of the community. As the elected official charged with managing the jail, I believe we need to utilize the corrections system as a place for people who pose a genuine danger to the public, and that does not include individuals whose only offense is living unsheltered.Arresting and booking our way out of the housing crisis is not a constructive solution. Incarceration is a costly, short-term measure that fails to address the complex underlying issues. We need to continue to focus on creating pathways out of homelessness through evidence-based, sustainable solutions that enhance public safety for all residents.Accountability for individuals violating city ordinances is in place. In any instance in which a person is subject to arrest for a city ordinance, any law enforcement officer may, in lieu of taking the person into custody, issue a criminal citation to the person to appear in court. This is the case for all cities in Multnomah County. Multnomah County Courts can best speak to what the process looks like for an individual who has violated a city ordinance in the court system.The Portland Police Bureau’s policy specifically directs its officers in 0870.30 that "Members will only present to the Multnomah County Detention Center Intake (MCDC) those suspects determined to be bookable by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO)." In August 2023, I directed the Sheriff’s Office via a Special Order to book any person arrested in Multnomah County into jail for any felony or misdemeanor offense codified in the Oregon Revised Statutes. This does not include city ordinances. PPB’s own policy defines "bookable offense" as "any criminal act listed on the current Multnomah County Sheriff’s Special Order of charges acceptable for booking allowing for the presentation of an offender for processing within MCDC”. The Sheriff’s Office did not receive any request or communication from the Portland Police Bureau or City of Portland about adding the Public Camping Ordinance to its booking criteria prior to the city enforcing the ordinance. Our communications with the Mayor’s office pertaining to the Public Camping Ordinance began in Spring 2023 and clearly outlined city ordinance violations as not bookable and being eligible for citations only. I will not be directing the Sheriff’s Office to book any individual on city ordinance violations. Law enforcement alone cannot solve the problems plaguing our community. Addressing these issues is a shared responsibility and requires collaboration across all levels of government and community organizations. We must work together to develop comprehensive, evidence-based solutions.

Update on 7/29/2024:The deceased adult in custody is identified as 31-year-old Asia Marie Williams. She was booked into Multnomah County Detention Center on July 23, 2024. Cause of death will be determined by the Medical Examiner's Office. Initial news release on 7/25/2024:On Thursday, July 25, 2024, at about 7:30 a.m., an adult in custody was found unresponsive in their cell at the Multnomah County Detention Center. A corrections deputy immediately called for jail medical staff and corrections and medical personnel began performing life saving measures. Despite those efforts, the adult in custody was pronounced deceased by AMR paramedics. As standard protocol, the East County Major Crimes Team responded to perform the death investigation, in conjunction with the Multnomah County Medical Examiner’s Office. The investigation is ongoing.The person’s identity is being withheld until next of kin notifications are completed.Any additional inquiries should be directed to the Medical Examiner’s Office. No further comment will be made at this time.

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) would like to thank the public for providing feedback during the policy review process. These policies were recently enacted:105.00 Policy and Procedure130.00 Memorandum210.00 Contracts for Public Safety235.00 Pilot Projects425.00 Solicitation Prohibited1230.00 Transmittal of Correspondence by Facsimile MachineMCSO takes seriously its responsibility to engage community stakeholders about the services the agency provides. Policy and procedure serve as the foundation for all MCSO law enforcement operations, correctional operations, and business services. Policy provides members with the objectives, limits, and requirements that apply to their work for the public. Procedure provides detailed direction governing how a task is to be accomplished.  View a comprehensive reference to all MCSO Policy and Procedure here.To sign up for email notifications when policy reviews occur or get additional press releases from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, click here. 

The Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) takes seriously its responsibility to engage community stakeholders about the services the agency provides. Policy and procedure serve as the foundation for all MCSO law enforcement operations, correctional operations, and business services. Policy provides members with the objectives, limits, and requirements that apply to their work for the public. Procedure provides detailed direction governing how a task is to be accomplished. We invite the public to provide feedback on proposed policy and procedure(s) through a 30-day period known as the Stakeholder Review. During the policy’s Stakeholder Review, the public is encouraged to submit comments or proposals relevant to the content of the policy drafts. People who submit comments should be aware that their remarks become public record.The Sheriff’s Office is currently in the process of reviewing the following draft(s): 1225.00 Booking Photos, Usage1340.00 Purchasing and Receiving Military Surplus Items1400.00 Fleet Administration1405.00 Vehicle Use and Equipment1410.00 Take Home Vehicles1415.00 Vehicle ReplacementTo submit a comment, please go to our website.Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We take individual comments into collective consideration as policy is finalized.To sign up for email notifications when policy reviews occur or get additional press releases from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, click here.