One of the victims in Wednesday’s stabbing in Northwest Portland was moving her tent when 38-year-old Victor Palmer-Regen, who lived in a nearby triplex, allegedly attacked her and a friend who had been helping her pack up.
Palmer-Regen was walking his dog when he “randomly started yelling” at them, the friend told police. Palmer-Regen then pepper-sprayed the man, according to court records.
But that was just the beginning. And now Mayor Keith Wilson, who has promised to open 1,500 shelter beds for homeless Portlanders by December, is pointing to the violence as another reason for his pledge.
“It highlights the urgent need for safe, secure and welcoming spaces where our unsheltered neighbors can find refuge during both the day and night,” Wilson said in a statement.
Security footage outside Palmer-Regen’s home at Northwest 18th Avenue and Hoyt Street shows the resident returning to his basement unit with his dog just before 9 a.m. and then re-emerging with what looks like a long kitchen knife.
After walking back to the area near the woman’s tent, where city contractors were removing a homeless campsite, Palmer-Regen then allegedly lunged at the man, slicing him on the arm and then stabbing him in the back.
The woman, who had been inside her tent, came out and tried to intervene, she told police, per a probable-cause affidavit. Palmer-Regen allegedly attacked her next, cutting her arm and armpit.
Security footage back at the Palmer-Regen’s triplex shared with The Oregonian/OregonLive shows him returning to his unit with a knife.
Portland police then urged other residents to stay in their homes as officers tried to coax Palmer-Regen from his apartment. At one point, he emerged with his hands up, then turned around and went back inside, the footage shows.
After nearly five hours, Palmer-Regen surrendered, police said.
Palmer-Regen is accused of two counts of second-degree assault and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon. He also is accused of a misdemeanor charge related to his alleged use of pepper spray. He made an initial appearance in court Thursday afternoon.
He was on probation after being convicted in July of a fourth-degree assault in Multnomah County, court records show. In 2019, he was convicted of a felony charge of driving under the influence of intoxicants.
—Zaeem Shaikh covers the Portland Police Bureau and criminal justice issues for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at 503-221-4323, zshaikh@oregonian.com or on X@zaeemshake.
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