PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Federal immigration officers shot and killed two people outside a hospital in Portland, Oregon, on Thursday, a day after an officer shot and killed a driver in Minnesota, authorities said.
The FBI's Portland office said it was investigating an “agent-involved shooting” that happened around 2:15 p.m. According to the Portland Police Bureau, officers initially responded to a report of shots fired near the hospital.
A few minutes later, police received information that a man who had been shot was asking for help in another area a couple of miles away. Officers then arrived on scene and found two people suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. Officers determined they were injured after exchanging gunfire with federal agents, police said.
Their terms were not immediately known. Council President Elana Pirtle-Guiney said during a Portland City Council meeting that Thursday's shooting happened on the city's east side and that two Portlanders were wounded.
“As far as we know, both of these individuals are still alive and we are hoping for more positive news this afternoon,” she said.
The shooting comes a day after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot and killed a woman in Minnesota. That has escalated tensions in a city that has long had a contentious relationship with President Donald Trump, including Trump's recent failed attempt to station National Guard troops in the city.
Portland police secured both the shooting scene and the area where the injured were found pending an investigation.
“We're still in the early stages of this incident,” Chief Bob Day said. “We understand the heightened emotions and stress many are feeling following the shooting in Minneapolis, but I ask the community to remain calm as we work to learn more.”
Portland Mayor Keith Wilson and the City Council called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to cease all operations in Oregon's largest city until a full investigation is completed.
“We are united as elected officials that we cannot sit idly by while constitutional protections are eroded and bloodshed escalates,” the joint statement said. “Portland is not a 'training ground' for paramilitary agents, and the 'full force' the administration is threatening has deadly consequences.”
City officials said that “federal militarization undermines effective community-based public safety and is contrary to the values that define our region. We will use all available legal and legislative tools to protect the civil and human rights of our residents.”
They urged residents to show “calmness and determination during this difficult time.”
“We are responding with clarity, unity and a commitment to justice,” the statement said. “We must come together to protect Portland.”
U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, a Democrat from Oregon, called on all protesters to remain peaceful.
“Trump wants to cause unrest,” he said in a post on social media site X. “Don’t take the bait.”
