A high-speed chase that ended in Portland with a Clackamas County deputy fatally shooting a man on Interstate 205 began when the man, a domestic violence suspect, fled from an “unwanted” person call, drove over spike strips and then crashed his car before confronting other drivers on the freeway with a gun in hand, police said Friday.
The Portland Police Bureau, which is investigating the shooting, divulged for the first time what led to the chase that left Wesley Chance, 32, of Clackamas dead of a gunshot wound.
Chance was shot by Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Deputy David Fooladjoush. Fooladjoush, who has been a member of the department since 2016, is on paid administrative leave, which is standard protocol after law enforcement shootings. The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office has not said how many shots Fooladjoush fired.
The pursuit unfolded after Clackamas County deputies were called to a report of an “unwanted person” in the 18000 block of Southeast Addie Street near Gladstone shortly after 10 p.m. Wednesday and learned that Chance, a suspect in a domestic violence case, was at a home there.
A woman that night had called authorities to report Chance was ringing her doorbell and calling her cellphone repeatedly, according to dispatch audio.
“Have (the caller) lock themselves in a room with a lock, if the front door doesn’t,” a law enforcement officer told a dispatcher.
Lake Oswego police had issued an “officer safety” warning to police agencies after Chance was involved in a violent encounter with the woman the day before. The warning noted that Chance had intentionally backed into her car, had previously committed multiple vehicle assaults and had threatened suicide by cop. A warrant was issued for his arrest.
Portland police said deputies also knew Chance had a history of having guns and body armor.
Responding deputies found Chance leaving the area in a green Subaru Outback and tried to pull him over, but Chance drove away at “high speed,” Portland police said in a Friday news release.
Deputies pursued Chance, who led them onto northbound Interstate 205.
A Clackamas County deputy at one point used spike strips to deflate the Subaru’s tires near the Oregon 212 overpass in Clackamas.
A deputy also said Chance pointed a handgun out of his window during the pursuit. Investigators didn’t identify what kind of gun Chance had or say whether he fired it.
Chance continued driving at high speeds into Portland, where deputies asked for help from Portland police, authorities said. Chance crashed and rolled his car near the Southeast Market Street overpass, where officers and deputies reported seeing him jump out of the wreck and run away with a gun in hand, police said.
Wesley Chance, 32, of Clackamas was fatally shot Wednesday by a Clackamas County Sheriff's Office deputy on Interstate 205.
Chance then jumped over the interstate median barrier and was “confronting people in vehicles” driving south on I-205, according to police.
There, Fooladjoush fired at Chance. Portland police officers took Chance into custody, but paramedics shortly after said he was already dead.
Portland homicide detectives are investigating the shooting because it happened in the city. Multnomah County authorities are also involved in the investigation.
Chance’s former girlfriend and father had recently sought restraining orders against him, alleging domestic violence and threats.
Clark County court records show Chance had an extensive arrest record that included multiple domestic violence incidents. Washington Department of Corrections records show Chance had convictions for trafficking of stolen property and theft. He was in prison from 2013 through 2019.
In the past year, Clackamas County sheriff’s deputies have been involved in at least three shootings, two of which were fatal. All involved chases.
--Savannah Eadens; seadens@oregonian.com; 503-221-6651; @savannaheadens
Noelle Crombie of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report.