In the early morning hours of May 4, 2024, the life of a 34-year-old Black / African American man, Ozell Shepherd of Gresham, was tragically cut short in a fatal shooting. The incident occurred in the Wilkes neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. North Precinct officers responded to a report of a shooting at approximately 5:00 a.m. in the 15700 block of Northeast Beech Street. Upon their arrival, they discovered Shepherd lying in the street.
Paramedics were called to the scene, but it was too late, and he was pronounced dead. The initial investigation revealed that the suspect or suspects had fled before law enforcement was alerted.
The Portland Police Homicide Unit immediately took charge of the investigation, closing off Northeast Beech Street between Northeast 156th and Northeast 158th Avenues to process the scene for evidence. The Medical Examiner later confirmed that Ozell Shepherd's death was a homicide caused by a gunshot wound. For weeks, the case remained under active investigation with detectives appealing to the public for any information that might lead to an arrest. Shepherd's family, while grieving, requested privacy but provided a photo of him for public release in the hopes it might help the investigation.
Months later, a significant development occurred in the case. On Tuesday, July 23, 2024, the Portland Police Bureau's Homicide Unit, with assistance from U.S. Marshals, arrested a suspect. The individual taken into custody was 23-year-old Alex M. Brown-Golden. He was lodged at the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of Murder in the Second Degree with a Firearm and Unlawful Use of a Weapon with a firearm. The family of Ozell Shepherd was notified of the arrest. Law enforcement officials have indicated that the investigation is ongoing and continue to ask anyone with information to come forward.
