A 24-year-old Black man from Tigard was killed in an officer-involved shooting involving Oregon State Police troopers and Clackamas County sheriff’s deputies after a lengthy confrontation near the railroad tracks in Milwaukie early Saturday.
The man’s name, released several days after the incident, was Derrick D. Clark.
Deputies said in a press release that the shooting happened after an attempted traffic stop and chase that ended at Southeast Railroad Avenue and Southeast Wood Avenue in Milwaukie.
The shooting took place shortly before 1 a.m. Saturday and came after an hours-long confrontation with law enforcement, according to statements from neighboring homeowners reported by Fox 12.
The area was closed for several hours while investigators worked the scene.
District Attorney John Wentworth on Tuesday released more information in this case, including the man’s name, age and city of residence. The pursuit began when authorities suspected Clark was driving under the influence, according to the new information.
Clark allegedly refused to pull over and ended up driving into a ditch. He was ordered out of the car and emerged with a gun, according to the account released by Wentworth’s office. He was shot twice and died at the scene.
According to The Insight Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to rehabilitating adults and young people impacted by incarceration, Clark was a volunteer teacher-in-training for the organization.
Clark was introduced to the program while serving a sentence for a 2015 second-degree robbery at MacLaren Youth Correctional Facility in Woodburn, the nonprofit’s website said.
“From mentoring other youth who’d been impacted by the carceral system to speaking at global conferences, Derrick was a huge advocate for mental health support, mutual aid, and racial justice,” a press release from Insight Alliance read. “He was a powerful presence and never shied away from standing up for those who needed it.”
A memorial honoring Clark and protesting his killing was held in Oregon City Saturday, as more than 200 peaceful protesters marched to the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, carrying signs reading “Justice 4 Derrick,” “Derrick Clark Should Still Be Alive” and “24 Years Old.”
Wentworth’s office identified the officers involved as Oregon State Police Trooper Zachary Cole, a seven-year veteran of the agency, and Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office Detective Dan Ferguson, a nine-year man.
The office’s findings are expected to be presented to a grand jury once complete.
Pursuant to protocols, the Clackamas Interagency Major Crimes Team is working with the county district attorney’s office to investigate the shooting.
There have been at least four fatal shootings during pursuits by Clackamas County sheriff’s deputies in the past year, including 44-year-old Jeremiah Lee Wright last June, 26-year-old Nathan Thomas Honeycutt in September and 32-year-old Wesley Chance in January.
And, in April, 27-year-old Micaiah Clinton died after trading fire with Marion County deputies, Woodburn police officers and Oregon state troopers at an Aurora-area truck stop.
Last September, Clackamas County Sheriff Angela Brandenburg implemented a policy limiting when deputies could engage in pursuits after deputies chased an alleged shoplifter and the high-speed pursuit resulted in a fatal hit-and-run involving a third vehicle, according to the Portland Tribune.
Under the new policy, Clackamas County deputies are only supposed to engage in pursuits when they believe a person has committed a felony crime.
