8 officers involved in Portland police shooting

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) – The Portland Police Bureau says seven of its officers and one deputy with the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office were involved in a shooting that killed a carjacking suspect who had fled into a homeless shelter.

Authorities say in a statement that 911 callers reported 48-year-old John Elifritz jumped from the moving stolen vehicle, held someone at knifepoint and was wandering the street with a knife before he entered the CityTeam Ministries Shelter on Saturday.

Witnesses say Elifritz was cutting himself and acting erratically once inside.

The shooting was captured on cellphone video by a bystander and posted on social media.

The video has prompted the American Civil Liberties Union and Elifritz’s brother to question police tactics.

The video shows Elifritz standing across the room from police and behind a low wall when the shots were fired.

A man who witnessed the shooting says two officers first used bean bag rounds to subdue the man.

David Abbs was inside the shelter during Saturday’s shooting and said Monday that the man had a knife.

Abbs says the man got up after getting hit by the bean bags and ran to the back of the room before more officers arrived. He then heard eight gunshots.

The American Civil Liberties Union questions why police opened fire instead of trying to de-escalate the situation. Bystander video showed the suspect at some distance from officers when they opened fire.