Days after an Oregon man was shot dead outside of a sports bar by officers from the Portland State University campus police department, the Navy veteran’s friends and family are speaking out about what they describe as the senseless death of a good man.
As The Oregonian reported, those who knew 45-year-old Jason E. Washington say he was the man shot dead on Friday at about 1:30 a.m.
Authorities have not officially identified the individual killed outside of the Cheerful Tortoise on Southwest Sixth Avenue in Portland. Two campus police officers were placed on administrative leave after the shooting.
His friends, however, say Washington was killed just days after he returned from a family trip to Mexico. In addition to his military service, Washington was described as a father of three daughters and doting grandfather to a 5-year-old girl.
Alyssa LeCesne said she attended high school with him, describing him as a man who married his high school sweetheart and was a hardworking father employed by the U.S. Postal Service.
“There are a lot of people in Portland grieving right now,” she said.
On the morning of his death, another friend said Washington was not only innocent, he was actively working to break up an ongoing physical altercation.
Video footage of the fight, which reportedly began when one individual used racial slurs against someone else, has surfaced. One witness said the man was carrying a holstered handgun, which fell to the ground just before he was shot.
An OBP TV report indicates Washington had a valid concealed carry permit.
Officers reportedly yelled out that someone had a gun and the witness said there was little hesitation after that point before the first shot rang out.
The two campus cops involved were identified as Shawn McKenzie and James Dewey. Authorities did not release additional information about the shooting.
[Featured image: Jason Washington, Facebook]