Christopher Ryan Healy
PPB Case #15-22632
Date: March 22, 2015
Suspect: Christopher Ryan Healy, 36
Involved Officers: Officer Thomas Clark, Officer Royce Curtiss
On Sunday, March 22, 2015, at 5:26 p.m., East Precinct Officers Thomas Clark, a 6-year veteran of the Portland Police Bureau, and Royce Curtiss, a 9-year-veteran, responded to a 9-1-1 call regarding a burglary in process in the area of S.E. 130th Avenue and S.E. Sherman Street. Officers arrived at 5:31 p.m. and found the caller attempting to restrain the suspect, later identified as 36-year-old Christopher Healy.
As the officers approached Healy, he advanced toward them with a double-bladed knife, 9 inches in total length, in a weaving, figure-eight motion. Healy got very close to Officer Clark, who fired two rounds, striking the suspect. Healy remained on his feet so Officer Curtiss holstered his duty weapon and deployed a Taser. Healy dropped to the ground and an ambulance immediately responded and transported him to a local hospital where he later died.
Detectives learned the incident began as a neighborhood dispute between the occupants of two residences.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office presented the case to a Grand Jury in April 2015, which determined that Officer Clark was justified in the use of deadly physical force.
As part of the use of force review process, the Bureau conducted an internal review of the entire incident and the case went before the Police Review Board (PRB), which is comprised of community members, Bureau members and representatives from the Independent Police Review Division. The shooting was found to be "in-policy" by the PRB.