In the early morning hours of November 13, 2022, a fatal encounter unfolded in the Hazelwood neighborhood of Portland, Oregon. Brian W. Logan, a 52-year-old White male, was walking with his rolling luggage near Southeast 122nd Avenue and Southeast Ash Street when he was confronted. Just after 1:30 a.m., police responded to reports of a shooting in the area. Upon arrival, they found Logan suffering from a gunshot wound.
Paramedics rushed him to a nearby hospital, but he succumbed to his injuries.
The investigation into Logan's death quickly became a homicide case. An autopsy confirmed that he had died as a result of being shot. Portland Police Bureau homicide detectives began canvassing the area for evidence and witnesses. Their efforts led them to surveillance footage from an apartment complex near the scene of the crime. The video showed a man, later identified as 24-year-old Thomas N. Tibball, leaving his girlfriend's apartment and walking toward the street. Though the actual shooting was not captured on video, the audio recorded a chilling exchange. Tibball could be heard telling Logan to keep walking or he would "pop" him. He then gave Logan a countdown, saying he had until "three." Before reaching the count of three, Tibball fired a single shot, striking Logan in the back. The footage then showed Tibball returning to the apartment, only to leave again a few minutes later wearing a different jacket.
With the evidence from the surveillance footage, detectives were able to identify Thomas Tibball as the primary suspect. They worked with the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office to secure an arrest warrant. On December 1, 2022, a team of law enforcement officers, including homicide detectives, the Special Emergency Reaction Team, the Crisis Negotiation Team, and the U.S. Marshal's Service Fugitive Task Force, served the warrant at an address on Southeast Ash Street and arrested Tibball. He was subsequently booked into the Multnomah County jail on charges of second-degree murder, unlawful use of a weapon, and felon in possession of a firearm. At the time of the homicide, Tibball was on probation for previous convictions of unlawful use of a weapon and identity theft.
In November 2023, as part of a plea agreement, Thomas Tibball pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter and unlawful use of a weapon with a firearm. Following his plea, a Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge sentenced him to 20 years in prison for the killing of Brian Logan. During the sentencing, Logan's daughter gave a statement, expressing her grief and the need for a better future. The resolution of the court case brought an end to the legal proceedings, but the investigation was considered ongoing as the case moved into the prosecution phase.
