Man Killed by Officer After Firing at Police Identified

The man killed in a confrontation with Portland Police Officers Tuesday morning has been identified as a 52-year-old without any history of mental illness or something that would indicate why he would have fired at officers.

Portland Police says that Steven Wayne Liffel died from a single gunshot wound fired by Officer Lawrence Keller, a 22-year veteran of the Bureau assigned to the night shift at the East Precinct.

Late Monday night, Keller and other officers responded to a home at Southeast 148th Avenue and East Burnside Street. There had been a report of a disturbance and shots having been fired.

Police say that Liffel greeted officers by firing at them from a handgun. Sometime after midnight, police say that Liffel left the home carrying a rifle.

That's when he was shot.

A grand jury will investigate the incident.

Additionally, as part of the use of force review process, the Bureau will conduct an internal review of the entire incident and the case will go before the Police Review Board (PRB), which is comprised of community members, Bureau members and representatives from the Independent Police Review Division.

Anyone with additional information about this incident is asked to contact Detective Erik Kammerer at 503-823-0762, erik.kammerer@portlandoregon.gov.

Photo Portland Police Department