Woman: Homeless man shot by police acted 'like a zombie'
PORTLAND, Ore. - One woman remembered Jack Dale Collins, who was shot and killed by a Portland police officer at Hoyt Arboretum last month, acted “like a zombie” and told her in a deep voice, “I’m going to kill you”, according to nearly 460 pages of documentation released by Portland police Monday.
The woman was hiking with her 18-year-old son near the Hoyt Arboretum’s water tower when Collins appeared out of nowhere.
She complained to Hoyt Arboretum employees who called for help.
“We have an intoxicated fellow … looks to possibly be a transient up here … who is threatening people on the trails, and I just saw him walking through our parking lot,” the caller said on the 9-1-1 call police also released on Monday.
Officer Jason Walters responded and found Collins in a men’s restroom at the arboretum.
Walters said when the 58-year-old transient came out of the restroom he had a Xacto knife and blood all over him. Walters called for backup.
“Can I get cover up here? We’ve got one with a razor,” he said.
In an hour-long interview with detectives that’s detailed in the released documents, Walters said he repeatedly gave Collins orders to drop the knife, but Collins refused.
“I go, put that down, put it down, drop it, drop it! And I’m pointing with my hand to drop it,” Walters said. “He’s still holding it as he’s walking slowly, walking towards me sideways with the knife towards me and he looked at me and he goes, ‘No, I’m not going to do that, I won’t.’”
Collins kept moving toward Walters who fired two rounds.
Witnesses said Collins seemed “shocked” and “confused” after being shot but still advanced toward the officer. Walters then fired two more shots that finally brought Collins to the ground.
“Shots fired! Shots fired! Can we get medical up here? Going over with a razor,” Walters said over the radio.
An autopsy revealed Collins died from a gunshot wound to the hip, which was one of four bullets it took to stop him.
The shooting has caused a number of heated protests against police in recent weeks.
