On a Friday morning in Gresham, Oregon, the body of 35-year-old Michael Lashone Hatcher, a Black/African American male, was discovered, though the fatal incident had occurred the day before, on March 24, 2023. At approximately 7:23 a.m., Gresham Police received a report of a person down and bleeding on a sidewalk in the 500 block of SE 197th Avenue.
When officers and Gresham Fire personnel arrived, they found Hatcher deceased at the scene.
An autopsy later conducted by the State Medical Examiner's office confirmed that Michael Lashone Hatcher, a resident of Portland, had died as a result of gun violence. The Gresham Police Department, with the assistance of the East County Major Crimes Team, launched a homicide investigation. Despite the violent nature of the crime, authorities stated they did not believe there was an ongoing danger to the public. The investigation was supported by the Portland Police Bureau's Special Emergency Reaction Team.
The investigation led to a significant development within days. On March 29, 2023, the Gresham Police Department announced the arrest of a suspect. Ervin Standifer Jr., a 61-year-old Portland resident, was taken into custody at his home with the help of the East County Major Crimes Team and the Portland Police Bureau SERT. Standifer was subsequently booked at the Multnomah County Detention Center on a charge of second-degree murder. Authorities have asked anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has additional information that could be relevant to the case to contact them through their tip line as the investigation continues.
