Quanice Hayes: Grand Jury Clears Portland Officer in Shooting Death of Black Teen

PORTLAND, OR ­– A Multnomah Grand Jury has cleared a Portland Police Bureau officer for the shooting death of a Portland teen.

The grand jury determined Tuesday that Officer Andrew Hearst, a seven-year PPB veteran working out of the East Precinct, was ultimately justified in using deadly force when he shot 17-year-old Quanice Derrick Hayes last month.

Tracking a series a 911 calls on the morning of Feb. 9, which police officials ultimately connected to the same suspect, PPB officers found Hayes –– a Portland native –– near a home on Northeast Hancock Street.

Believing Hayes armed based on 911 caller information, Hearst reportedly fired three shots after Hayes made “repeated and deliberate motions with his hands to the area of his waistband and pockets,” according to a PPB statement released March 21, following the grand jury’s decision.

The incident will now be fully reviewed through an internal investigation, Bureau officials said. The case will then go before the Police Review Board, which includes members of the community and Bureau, as well as representatives from the Independent Police Review Division.

For the complete PPB statement, click here.

Photo Courtesy: Portland Police Bureau