Portland police fatally shot a man Sunday afternoon outside a Starbucks coffee shop in Southeast Portland.

The shooting occurred near Southeast 103rd Drive and Stark Street , resulting in the closure of several blocks in the busy area near Mall 205.

Police received a call at 1:40 p.m, reporting suspicious circumstances involving a weapon. A caller said a man was holding a knife in his hand and was in the street at Southeast 103rd Drive and Stark Street.

Several officers, including one armed with a less-lethal 40mm launcher that shoots foam-tipped projectiles, responded to the scene. They approached the man, and, a short time later, reported to dispatch that they had fired shots, according to police. Both less-lethal and lethal rounds were fired.

Police attempted to render emergency aid to the man shot, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

A body was visible, lying face-up on the pavement at the corner of Southeast 103rd Drive, near its intersection with Stark Street.

In a news conference at the scene, Portland Police Sgt. Kevin Allen said that no officers were injured in the incident and that there was no danger to the public. Homicide detectives are investigating the incident, which is protocol for officer-involved shootings, Allen said.

The major police response began around 1:43 p.m., according to dispatch records. Mayor Ted Wheeler arrived at the scene of the shooting shortly before 3 p.m. Police Chief Danielle Outlaw was also at the scene.

In a news release late Sunday, Outlaw said police responded to a "dynamic situation involving an armed subject.'' The man killed was not identified Sunday night.

A large number of witnesses were brought aboard a TriMet bus while police investigated. Another bus was nearby when the shooting occurred, visible in a parking lot adjacent to Stark Street beyond the long yellow lines of police tape surrounding the scene. Some riders onboard were being interviewed as witnesses, police said.

A father and son, who work at a food cart just one short block from the intersection where the shooting occurred, watched as the scene unfolded.

Wasim Elhaj, 21, was taking a break and standing at the intersection of Southeast 102nd and Stark Street when he saw a person walking and moving strangely in the middle of the Sotheast 103rd Drive. Traffic was blocked and two cars were honking. So he alerted his father, Hicham Elhaj, who was cooking in the food cart just behind him.

Hicham stepped out to see what the commotion was about, he said. The person in the street had a blanket or tarp wrapped around their body and looked possibly homeless, Hicham said. He could hear the cars honking.

At least two police SUVs had pulled up to where traffic was stopped, Hicham said. He watched as officers exited their vehicles and that’s when the person began to swiftly approach the officers, Hicham said.

Officers stood holding guns, one with a large rifle-type gun and another with a smaller handgun, he said.

Hicham heard yelling, but couldn’t make out exactly what words were exchanged and heard three sudden gunshots. Both father and son watched as the person fell to the ground.

Hicham said he sees a lot of strange things working at the little red Mediterranean food cart on the corner. In that area of Southeast Portland, it’s a common sight to see a homeless or mentally ill person wander into the road, Hicham said. “But it’s my first time seeing someone killed,” Hicham said, shaken. “It happened so fast.”

Southeast Stark Street is closed between 102nd Avenue and 106th Avenue, and Southeast 103rd is closed between Washington Street and Southeast Pine Street, Allen said. TriMet buses in the area were rerouted while police investigated.

Allen said the closures would continue well into the evening.

This is the fifth fatal shooting by Portland police officers so far this year -- marking the most fatal police shootings since 2010, when Portland police also killed five people.

-- Emily Goodykoontz; 503-221-6652; egoodykoontz@oregonian.com

This story has been updated to include eyewitness accounts and police statements.

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