Grand jury decides Portland police officer was justified in June 9 shooting

SATURDAY, AUGUST 17: Clarification appended:

A Portland police officer was justified in fatally shooting a man in June, according to a grand jury’s Friday decision.

The grand jury returned a not true bill regarding Officer Nathan Kirby-Glatkowski, who shot and killed David Wayne Downs. The panel determined that the shooting was “a lawful act of self-defense and/or defense of a third person."

Kirby-Glatkowski and another police officer, Jackson Oldham, arrived at the Lovejoy building at 1331 NW Lovejoy St. on June 9 and encountered Downs. According to authorities, Downs had been holding a woman at knifepoint in the stairwell of the building. Police said the woman was injured before officers arrived and was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

In addition to the knife, police said, Downs threatened to have an explosive device.

Kirby-Glatkowski shot Downs, and Oldham fired non-lethal ammunition, police said.

The Lovejoy building, where the incident took place, houses several offices and stores, including the Pearl District Safeway store. Safeway employees and customers were told to evacuate the store because of a bomb threat. Investigators did not find a bomb at the scene.

Previous reports from The Oregonian/OregonLive show the woman, described by witnesses as in her 40s or 50s, was seen running out the front door of the building and yelling that she didn’t want to get treated. Reports say she ran west on Lovejoy, police chased and stopped her, and she was treated by paramedics and taken to the hospital. Witnesses said she had blood smeared on her face.

Police have not identified the woman, nor said what her relationship was with Downs.

Downs’ shooting was the third of four fatal officer-involved shootings by Portland Police Bureau this year.

Story updated to clarify jury’s decision.

—Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR

Visit subscription.oregonlive.com/newsletters to get Oregonian/OregonLive journalism delivered to your email inbox.

If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.