In the afternoon hours of Wednesday, October 11, 2023, a sudden and violent encounter in downtown Portland would leave one man dead and another injured. Ryan Martin, a 47-year-old White male from southwest Washington, was fatally shot in what authorities have described as a road-rage incident. The event unfolded around 4:34 p.m. at the intersection of Southwest 10th Avenue and Southwest Alder Street.
The situation began when Geoffrey E.
Hammond, 46, was reportedly idling his Mercedes SUV, partially obstructing traffic in front of the Moxy Hotel. Martin, driving a Toyota Tundra behind him, exchanged gestures with Hammond before driving around him. Martin then parked his truck, got out, and approached Hammond's vehicle. As he neared, Hammond was allegedly loading a gun. After Martin tapped on the driver's side window and a brief, shouted exchange occurred, Hammond rolled down his window and shot Martin in the chest. Martin fell to the ground, reportedly saying, "I'm sorry, I had a bad day." He died at the scene from the gunshot wound, as later determined by the medical examiner.
Immediately following the shooting of Martin, a bystander, Sam Gomez, began recording the incident with his cellphone from about 15 feet away. Hammond then allegedly shot Gomez in the leg. After the shootings, Hammond drove away from the scene and called 911, admitting to shooting both men. He was detained by police shortly after. Investigators found no evidence to support any claim of self-defense and no weapons were found on either victim.
Geoffrey E. Hammond of Portland was arrested and booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center. He faced multiple charges, including second-degree murder with a firearm, attempted second-degree murder with a firearm, first-degree assault with a firearm, and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon. Hammond pleaded not guilty to the charges. Following a trial where a jury convicted him of second-degree murder and attempted murder, he was sentenced to life in prison.
