PORTLAND, Oregon – Today, Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced that a Multnomah County grand jury indicted Robert J. Connelly, 49, on 20 charges including three counts of Attempted Aggravated Murder with a Firearm, three counts of Attempted Assault in the First Degree, three counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon with a Firearm, three counts of Menacing, one count of Escape in the First Degree, one count of Escape in the Second Degree, one count of Escape in the Third Degree, one count of Kidnapping in the First degree, two counts of Burglary in the First Degree with a Firearm, and one count each of Criminal Mischief in the First Degree and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
The charges stem from an alleged incident on August 16. During the incident, Portland police officers were in the process of effectuating an arrest on Connelly based on existing warrants from multiple law enforcement agencies. The warrants were based on a federal drug charge, a Felon in Possession of a Firearm charge, and Failure to Register as a Sex Offender in the state of Washington.
Connelly was on foot in the area of Southeast 82nd Avenue when officers attempted to arrest him. When he saw the officers he ran towards a nearby auto repair shop. Officers followed him to the shop, identified themselves, and warned that force would be used if Connelly resisted. Connelly pointed a gun at the officers and directly at an officer standing within a few feet of him. Subsequently, officers fired shots in Connelly’s direction. He then entered the shop and stayed for approximately one hour during which time he attempted to escape by breaking down a wall and held a customer hostage before surrendering. Two employees of the shop were present at the time of the initial shooting and were able to quickly evacuate the area to safety. No one was physically harmed as a result of the incident.
Connelly’s prior criminal record includes a Rape conviction in Columbia County and a Robbery conviction in Cowlitz County.
A charging document is only an accusation of a crime. Connelly is innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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