Terrell Kyreem Johnson

The Washington Post's Fatal Force database records Terrell Kyreem Johnson in a fatal on-duty police shooting on 2017-05-10 in Portland, OR. Individual circumstances and legal outcome require case-specific review.

What happened

Terrell Kyreem Johnson, 24, was killed by Portland police Officer Samson Ajir on May 10, 2017, after a confrontation at the Southeast Flavel Street MAX transit station. A caller reported that Johnson had threatened people there, and officers approached him. Johnson ran across a transit bridge, and Ajir followed. Police said Johnson then turned with a box cutter, slashing toward Ajir. A later independent review described Ajir stumbling backward and firing four times, striking Johnson three times, including two bullets entering his back. Johnson died at the scene. A Multnomah County grand jury decided that the officer's use of force was justified. Johnson's family disputed the way officers managed the encounter and argued that he was experiencing a mental-health crisis, a characterization the city disputed. The family filed a federal civil suit. In June 2021, Portland agreed to a $600,000 settlement, resolving that litigation without a civil trial determining the officer's liability.

Investigation & findings

Individual legal and investigative outcome not yet reviewed.

What happened

Investigation & findings

Sources & records