January 12, 2022
Martin Luther King Jr.
2022 Special Edition
Family Mourns Brother Killed
Family photo courtesy of Portland Police Bureau
Michel Johnson, 53, the man found shot and killed on Dec. 23
inside a tent at a homeless camp next to Farragut Park in north
Portland.
man who was found shot and
killed inside a tent at a homeless
camp next to Farragut Park in
north Portland.
Police were called to the area
on Dec. 23 after a 911 caller re-
ported someone had been shot.
Portland Police are asking for Police believe the shooter fled in
the public’s help with their inves- a car after the murder.
A family member said John-
tigation into the death of Michael
Johnson, a 53-year-old Black son had lived in the camp for
Police ask for
public’s help in
investigation
about 18 months after becoming
homeless four years ago. Antho-
ny Johnson told a reporter for the
Oregonian that he tried to get his
brother off the streets.
“You can turn this around Mike,
that was the last conversation I had
with him, trying to convince him
that we could make his life better,”
Anthony Johnson told the newspa-
per. “We don’t know why someone
would do this to him. He was going
through a lot of challenges in his
life, but Michael was a good dude.”
He described his brother, who
leaves behind a sonw, as some-
one who didn’t carry a weapon or
mention any problems with those
living in the encampment, add-
ing that he was the type of per-
son to make sure everyone in the
unhoused community had some-
thing to eat.
Police would like anyone who
was in Farragut Park near the
time of the shooting, on Thurs-
day, Dec. 23, 2021, between the
hours of 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. to
contact them. Detectives are also
asking for contact from anyone
who believes they captured video,
through technology such as their
ring doorbell, of the park or its im-
mediate surroundings during that
same time period.
Contact Detective Ryan Foote
at Ryan.Foote@portlandoregon.
gov or 503-823-0781 or Detective
Travis Law at Travis.Law@port-
landoregon.gov or 503-823-0395.
North by
Northeast honors
the legacy of
Martin Luther
King, Jr.”
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