Man killed in 82nd Avenue business confrontation

Published 12:00 am Friday, March 31, 2017

A homeless man is dead, and the person who shot him will not be charged with a crime — after the former confronted and threatened the latter at about 2:30 p.m. on Monday, February 20, near S.E. 82nd Avenue of Roses and Ramona Street.

Portland Police Bureau (PPB) East Precinct officers — quickly followed by Portland Fire & Rescue units — rushed to the location, after a caller to the 9-1-1 Center reported he had just shot a man in the stomach.

Soon, red police crime scene tape strung to mark off the gravel parking lot between Cobbler Bill’s popular shoe store, and the house-turned-office of Golden Key Insurance Agency at 5821 S.E. 82nd.

“Detectives learned that 32-year-old Jason Gerald Petersen had entered the Golden Key Insurance Agency and confronted the business owner — 47-year-old Charlie Win Chan, and his wife — about some missing personal property he claimed to have left near the business,” explained Portland Police spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson.

“Petersen left the office, and shortly thereafter, Chan went outside and [south into] the parking lot next to the business, where he was confronted again by Petersen, leading to the shooting,” Simpson said.

Although he was quickly transported to a hospital, Petersen died that evening. “The Oregon State Medical Examiner determined that Peterson died of a single gunshot wound,” revealed Simpson.

Throughout that Monday afternoon, 82nd Avenue of Roses was closed to traffic while the investigation progressed; it reopened to drivers at about 9 p.m.

One family member, Justin Petersen, told reporters he didn’t want to “rush to judgment” about the situation, and admitted that his brother had suffered from mental illness, and was homeless.

But the deceased man’s brother did wonder aloud why, after his brother left the office, Chan didn’t simply lock the door and call police, instead of venturing outside.

“Chan has not been arrested, and the case will be presented to a Multnomah County Grand Jury once the investigation is complete,” Simpson reported.

On March 10, a Multnomah County Grand Jury returned a “no true bill” in the shooting death of Petersen, finding that no criminal prosecution was warranted as a result of the use of deadly force by Chan.

The Grand Jury heard how detectives learned that Petersen entered the Golden Key Insurance Agency and confronted Chan, the business owner, about some missing personal property Petersen had left on the front porch of the business.

During this confrontation, Chan stated that Petersen threatened to kill him and burn down his business as he left the building. About five minutes later, Chan went outside where he stated that Petersen attacked him, resulting in the shooting.

Chan, a valid concealed handgun license holder, called 9-1-1 to report the shooting and cooperated with the subsequent investigation. Police later determined that Petersen had not been armed at the time of the shooting.