Fireworks, gunshots during chaotic Portland street takeovers

A familiar problem in the Portland metro area- street takeovers caused chaos over the weekend, two of which involved shooting scares.
Published: Jul. 8, 2024 at 10:19 PM PDT

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - A familiar problem in the Portland metro area street takeovers caused chaos over the weekend, two of which involved shooting scares.

“Cars were coming in and out and freaking out, they didn’t know where to go, buses were coming through. They were shouting at buses, it was chaos,” said Kris Farrell, who lives near the intersection of NE Sandy Boulevard and NE 57th Avenue.

She said at around midnight Sunday, her home filled with the distinct sound of engines roaring and tires squealing.

“I woke up, and my daughter came running out of her room, and we were like, ‘oh, takeover, alright.’ Because that was the second one,” Farrell said, referring to a takeover that happened this past New Year’s Eve.

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She said the takeover blocked her street for four hours.

This time, though, witnesses who wanted to remain anonymous say things got out of hand. They said things were fine for about 30 minutes before fireworks were brought out, and eventually, two groups began shooting them at each other.

At around 12:30 a.m., witnesses reported that gunshots rang out.

“We heard the fireworks and then immediately after we heard gunshots. I could immediately tell that that was not fireworks. You can really tell the difference when they’re side-by-side,” Farrell said.

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Portland police say someone called 911 at 12:30 a.m. Officers arrived at 12:44 a.m., and Farrell saw the last remaining groups speed off.

Police say no one was hurt, but a Toyota 4Runner was shot.

Police say they got there as quickly as they could, but had limited resources on a busy night.

A few hours earlier, at 9 p.m. Saturday, a street takeover was reported on NE Airport Way.

One witness felt things were getting out of hand and called it in as a shooting, telling officers three people were shot. That didn’t actually happen - and the caller was cited for making a false report.