Quanice Derrick Hayes

An organization formed to scrutinize actions of the Portland police asked Mayor Ted Wheeler on Saturday to ensure that police not appear in "excessive force" at a Feb. 20 march to protest President Donald Trump.

The group, Don't Shoot Portland, held a news conference Saturday to make the request and also decry the fatal police shooting on Thursday morning of Quanice Derrick Hayes, 17, who police say was an armed robbery suspect.

The Feb. 20 march will begin at the federal courthouse downtown, said Teressa Raiford, who spoke at the news conference on behalf of Don't Shoot Portland.

"We do plan to have a non-permitted protest," Raiford said, standing in front of Revolucion Coffee House, 1432 S.W. Sixth Ave., with at least a dozen supporters behind her. "I think that the Portland police have given us a very good reason not to want to work with them in the murder of Quanice Hayes.

"So I hope our mayor will hear the cries of our community and the request of the community that we've expressed today and not send excessive force to the protest march...not only because it's the wrong thing to do but because (Wheeler) knows we are an organization that is known for the safety of our protests (and) that we don't need excessive force or any kind of show of force or brutality against the families that want to come out."

Addressing Hayes' death, Raiford questioned the version of events Portland police have offered about his death.

"Portland is known already for its racism against people of color but predominantly against the black community," she said. "We're very well known for our murders of unarmed black men."

Officer Andrew Hearst shot and killed Hayes on Thursday morning near the Banfield Pet Hospital, 1816 N.E. 82nd Ave.

A suspect matching Hayes' description had been seen in the hospital's parking lot. Between 6:20 a.m. and 7 a.m., a suspect matching Hayes' description had reportedly pointed a handgun at a man living in his car and robbed him of his Oregon food benefits card. That incident happened near the Portland Value Inn, 1707 N.E. 82nd Ave.

Police say a replica handgun was found near Hayes after he was shot at about 9:20 a.m. Police haven't released details of what prompted Hearst to shoot.

About 11 hours after Hayes was shot, Portland police shot another man in a separate case. He was wounded and recovering at the hospital.

Mayor Ted Wheeler and Police Chief Mike Marshman held a news conference Friday to express concern about the shootings.

Before Saturday's news conference, Don't Shoot Portland issued a news release faulting the Republican Party as well as the Democratic Party "for support to the same politicians and institutions that built the infrastructure for (President Donald) Trump to abuse."

"While many people are protesting Trump in Portland and around the country, many are overlooking the continuing local and statewide inaction on systemic racism, including incarceration and police terror," the news release says.

--Allan Brettman

503-294-5900

@allanbrettman