Portland Man Accused of Shooting Two Officers Arrested After Citywide Search

PORTLAND, Ore. — Forty-one-year-old Eric F. Oelkers of Portland has been identified and arrested as the shooter of two local police officers on January 19.

Oelkers is charged with two counts of first-degree attempted murder, two counts of first-degree attempted assault, and the unlawful use of a weapon.

He was arrested yesterday by the Portland Police Bureau’s Special Emergency Reaction Team (SERT) and is lodged in the Multnomah County Detention Center. Police took possession of a firearm during a search of the area where Oelkers was taken into custody.

At 8.21 p.m., PPB officers attached to the North Precinct responded to a report of shots fired in the Northeast 17^th Avenue and Northeast Clackamas Street area of the Sullivan’s Gulch Neighborhood. When officers arrived on the scene, they located the suspect on Northeast Clackamas Street.

Oelkers allegedly opened fire and struck two PPB officers before fleeing on foot. The officers were treated at the scene and then transported to the hospital for further care.

PPB immediately set up a perimeter around the area in an attempt to track down the shooter. However, he avoided capture.

A surveillance camera in the area of the shooting captured an image of Oelkers, which the PPB then released to the public, appealing for assistance to identify the man.

The two officers shot during the incident have both been released from the hospital. One was a seven-year vet, and the other a 17-year vet, both assigned to the PPB North Precinct.

Oelkers was arrested yesterday during a tactical operation in the 6400 block of Northeast 82^nd Avenue and was transported to the Central Precinct for questioning.

This is an ongoing investigation, and anyone with information about the case is asked to contact [email protected] or 503-823-0479, referencing case number 26-18537.