OR Police Plane Records Video of Shooting from Overhead, Directs Responding Units

In Portland, the police department’s Air Support Unit (ASU) airplane recorded video of an early morning shooting and provided updates to responding officers from overhead. The plane’s pilot then assisted officers as they arrested two suspected gunmen.

On Friday, Aug. 5 at 2:01 a.m., Central Precinct officers responded to a report of possibly armed individuals in the area of Northwest 4th Avenue and Northwest Davis Street, according to the Portland Police Bureau . The ASU responded to assist and, while overhead, captured a shooting in progress on video.

When ground units arrived, they believed that there were possibly injured victims, however officers later determined they were just on the ground trying to avoid the gunfire and were not hurt.

“I’ve got two shooters in sight, I’m going to stay with them,” the pilot tells ground units as he continues to track the suspected gunmen.

Responding officers, assisted by the ASU pilot, arrested two suspects nearby.

Officers from the Focused Intervention Team (FIT) responded to assist with the investigation. Two guns were seized as evidence, and 88 cartridge casings. One car was towed as evidence and at least one building and several additional cars were damaged by gunfire.

Yellow placards are placed on the street behind a parked black pickup truck following the shooting in which police recovered 88 spent casings.

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PHOTO: Portland Police Bureau