Man who died during North Portland police welfare check identified

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A man who died after a police welfare check turned fatal in North Portland has been identified, officials announced Friday.

Damon Lamarr Johnson, 52, was the man who died while in police custody last week, the Portland Police Bureau said.

The night of June 27, officers originally responded to a request for a welfare check on a man at his home in the 8500 block of North Argyle Way.

The caller reported the man — later identified as Johnson — was allegedly “acting in a concerning manner, flooding his apartment with water and hanging knives out of his apartment window,” police said.

After arriving at the apartment, officers said they had to give Johnson CPR and requested aid from paramedics who had already been called to wait nearby.

Johnson was then taken to the hospital by ambulance, where he later died.

According to PPB, as this was an in-custody death, homicide detectives were called to the apartment to further investigate.

All three officers involved were placed on administrative leave.

The circumstances leading up to Johnson’s death have not been released at this time. However, PPB said they will be releasing body-worn camera footage “within 14 days of the incident, including a summary and timeline of events.”

“We understand the public’s desire for information and it is important to us that we share what we can as quickly as possible, while being mindful of the balance between transparency and the need for a complete and careful investigation,” PPB added.

Anyone with further information on this incident is encouraged to contact Portland police.