In the early morning hours of Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2022, a tragic event unfolded in North Portland that would claim the life of 41-year-old Justin Lee Williams. Officers from the North Precinct were dispatched to the 8700 block of North Lombard Street at 1:46 a.m. following a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, they discovered Williams suffering from a gunshot wound to his torso. He was immediately transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
Despite medical efforts, Justin Lee Williams succumbed to his injuries two days later, on November 26, 2022, while still in the hospital.
The investigation into the shooting quickly led Portland police to a suspect. Following the incident, officers responded to a nearby car crash where they located and arrested 43-year-old Barbara Marie Michelle. According to a probable cause affidavit, Williams was shot by his girlfriend, Michelle, after an argument that began at the Bluebird Tavern. The affidavit also notes that when police encountered Michelle, she made unsolicited statements, claiming, "He was attacking me, I didn't do anything wrong" and "I was protecting myself."
Initially, Barbara Marie Michelle was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on a charge of first-degree assault. However, following Williams' death, the charges against her were elevated to include homicide. Michelle was arraigned on the new charges at the Multnomah County Courthouse on Tuesday, November 29, 2022. The family of Justin Williams provided a photograph of him for public release but has requested privacy during their time of grief.
