Date: December 11, 2024
Suspect: Matthew G. Greer, 43
Bureau Members: Officers Bradley Clark and Roger Walsh
On Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at 10:05 p.m., Portland Police officers assigned to North Precinct responded to a report of a stabbing at a convenience store in the 1500 block of North Going Street. When they arrived, they found an injured adult male victim. Emergency Medical Services responded and transported him to the hospital with injuries, where he was treated and released.
Preliminary investigation revealed that the 43-year-old suspect confronted the victim, a 19-year-old male, outside the convenience store in the 1500 block of North Going Street. The two men were known to each other. During the confrontation, the suspect punched the victim in the face, then cut the victim with a knife in the back of his shoulder. Following the attacks, the victim threw a battery-powered leaf blower, striking the suspect in the back.
The suspect walked away to the north two blocks and fell on a sidewalk. A passing PPB Public Safety Support Specialist (PS3) saw him down and got out to do a welfare check. He found the man conscious, breathing, and talking. The PS3 summoned police officers, and two officers responded and helped the man sit up. The man was later identified as Matthew G. Greer, 43. The man was conscious and talking, but he laid back down on the sidewalk. The officers rolled him onto his side to help facilitate breathing. The officers are identified as Officer Bradley Clark, an 18-year veteran of Portland Police Bureau, and Officer Roger Walsh, also an 18-year veteran.
A short time later, officers requested EMS to medically evaluate the suspect. As EMS was enroute, the suspect lost consciousness. About four minutes later, the officers requested to radio dispatch that EMS increase their response level to code-3, or lights and sirens, because the man had lost consciousness. Officers removed the handcuffs and began CPR until paramedics arrived and provided advanced care. American Medical Response (AMR) and Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) attempted lifesaving efforts for approximately 19 minutes before pronouncing the suspect deceased.
The Oregon State Medical Examiner found no indicators that his death was caused by any outside trauma. A formal cause and manner of death determination is awaiting toxicology testing.
Following the autopsy, the officers were released from administrative leave and have been cleared to return to work.
As part of its ongoing commitment to transparency, on December 25, 2024, the Portland Police Bureau released the initial body-worn camera footage.
As part of the use of force review process, the Bureau conducts an internal review of the entire incident and the case will go before the Police Review Board (PRB), which is composed of community members, Bureau members and representatives from the Independent Police Review Division.
The Portland Police Bureau directive outlining the procedures followed after an in-custody death is Directive 1010.10