Portland, OR- Multnomah County Circuit Judge Jenna Plank sentenced Joshua William Degerness to 300 months prison (25 years) after a jury convicted him of Attempted First Degree Murder with a Firearm of three separate Portland Police Officers. He was also convicted of Attempted Assault in the First Degree of the officers, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Felony Attempt to Elude.
The charges were related to an incident December 11, 2021 when Degerness fled from Portland police and eventually crashed into a tree after an officer used a Pursuit Intervention Technique on his vehicle. As officers ordered him to exit the vehicle he refused, pointed a gun in their direction firing at least two shots from inside the vehicle at the officers. Officers returned fire, hitting Degerness who survived.
Multnomah County Senior Deputy District Attorney Melissa Marrero prosecuted the case for the state. After the sentencing she said, “Today’s sentence is necessary to ensure the safety of the public and our law enforcement partners. The Defendant continues to show absolutely no remorse and would present a serious and immediate threat if released to the community. We are incredibly thankful that the involved Portland Police members were not injured during this encounter, but things could have turned out much differently. We are thankful for their dedication to public safety and bravery in the face of extreme danger.”
Portland Police Chief Bob Day said:
“Today’s sentencing brings closure to a dangerous incident in which an individual eluded police and then fired at PPB members, putting their lives and the community at risk,” said Chief Bob Day. “We’re grateful to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office and our Detectives for their diligent work on this case to help ensure accountability and justice.”
District Attorney Nathan Vasquez said “This is a very dangerous individual and he is where he belongs for the next 25 years. This case highlights how officers put their lives on the line every day for this community and we thank them for that.”
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office would like to thank Detectives Michael Jones and Travis Law for their exceptional work on this case.
THE FACTS:
December 11, 2021 a Portland Police Canine Officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop in the area of SE 92nd Avenue and SE Holgate Boulevard, and the driver attempted to elude. Subsequently, the officer conducted Pursuit Intervention Technique (PIT) on the suspect vehicle, stopping the vehicle at SE 88th Avenue and SE Holgate Boulevard. A Sergeant responded to that location. Upon arrival, he observed the suspect vehicle had crashed into a tree at the southeast corner of the intersection. A plan was developed to arrest the suspect, later identified as Joshua Degerness. Degerness was uncooperative and refused to exit the vehicle and surrender. An officer moved his patrol vehicle closer to Degerness’ vehicle. Two sergeants accompanied the officer on the driver’s side of his vehicle, on foot. During the incident, Degerness said something to the officers to the effect of “come get me!” Due to Degemess’ non-compliance, a sergeant deployed pepper spray at the open driver’s window. Immediately, Degemess pointed a handgun directly at the sergeant who then ducked for cover and heard gunshots. The two officers positioned behind the sergeant had fired their weapons.The Defendant still refused to obey commands to surrender. Degemess stated something to the effect that his gun was real and he asked if any of the officers were hit. Degerness was eventually taken into custody.
###MCDA###