In the early morning hours of September 9, 2020, Lasalle Jamal Shakier, a 29-year-old Black / African American man, was fatally shot in Portland, Oregon. The incident occurred around 7 a.m. in the 6600 block of Northeast Columbia Boulevard. Officers who responded to the report of a shooting found Shakier, and an investigation was promptly launched into his death.
The Oregon State Medical Examiner later determined that the cause of death was a gunshot wound and officially ruled it a homicide.
The investigation into the shooting death of Lasalle Shakier led authorities to a suspect. Donald Beckwith, a 31-year-old man, was identified as the individual allegedly responsible for Shakier's death. A significant development in the case came on September 18, 2020, when members of the United States Marshal's Service located and arrested Beckwith in Fossil, Oregon. Following his apprehension, he was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center.
Following the arrest, the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office announced that Donald Beckwith was facing serious charges for his alleged role in the incident. He was charged with one count of murder in the second degree with a firearm and one count of unlawful use of a weapon with a firearm. Court documents allege that Beckwith unlawfully and intentionally caused the death of Shakier with a firearm. It was also reported that Beckwith intended to plead self-defense in the case.
