PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) -
PORTLAND, OR (KPTV) -
A 17-year-old boy who ran from a traffic stop was shot in the leg by a Portland police officer Tuesday, and an investigation is now under way to determine whether the situation warranted the use of gunfire by police.
Family members of the teen who identified him as Juwan Blackmon spoke to Fox 12 from California.
"I want answers," said his mother, Tanya Graham. "I want them to tell me why they shot my son."
The Portland Police Bureau released a detailed recap of what led up to the shooting near 153rd Avenue and Division Street.
Police say it started when officers with the gun task force and gang enforcement team were conducting surveillance on an apartment on Southeast 148th Avenue, as part of a federal case involving Sid Willis, who police identify as a known gang member facing multiple felony charges.
On Tuesday morning, officers saw a young man, whom they did not recognize, emerge from the apartment, armed with a handgun, according to a spokesman.
They said the teen was "showing off" the gun to others before he got into a blue Honda with three other people. Police stopped the car near Southeast 153rd and Division, and a man and a woman exited the car and were detained. A police dog bit another passenger who was also taken into custody.
Police say the teenager, previously seen with the gun, didn't follow police commands and ran into a nearby neighborhood.
"He's schizophrenic, he's adhd, he has asthma. He was scared because they had guns drawn at him," Graham told Fox 12.
Officer Dennis Wilcox, a 21-year veteran of the police bureau, shot the teen with one less-lethal beanbag round. Then, Officer Gregory Moore, who has been with the police bureau since March 2011, still on his probation period, fired one round from his gun, and the bullet hit the teen in his right thigh, police said.
During a search of the neighborhood, police found the suspect in the yard of a home on 149th Avenue. Police said they also found two loaded handguns in a yard off 153rd Avenue.
They took the teenager to the hospital, but he has since been released and is now being held at a juvenile detention center, on charges of unlawful possession of a firearm.
Deputies brought Blackmon into the courtroom in a wheelchair. He was visibly upset and shaking throughout the hearing.
Friends and two of the people involved in Tuesday's traffic stop showed up to the hearing in support, but declined to talk to Fox 12.
Blackmon's mother says she's working to bring her son home to Fresno. She said Blackmon was visiting Portland over the summer to help take care of his child.
"He's hanging out with the wrong crowd," said Graham.
It's not known when or if a Judge will release him to his mother.
"He knows I love him," said Graham. "He's going to have to do what he has to do…We're going to get through this."
Detectives now want to speak with any witnesses who have not previously spoken to police about the incident. They're asked to call 503-823-4000.
Once detectives wrap up their investigation into the shooting, a Multnomah County District Attorney's Office will schedule a grand jury.
Copyright 2012 KPTV (Meredith Corporation.) All rights reserved.
Portland police released a photo showing the teen suspect holding a gun.
Photo courtesy: Don Nutt
