Multnomah County Board of Commissioners on the federal shooting in East Portland
Multnomah County Board of CommissionersGoverning board of Multnomah County, in a release signed by Chair Jessica Vega Pederson and Commissioners Meghan Moyer, Shannon Singleton, Julia Brim-Edwards and Vince Jones-Dixon
The Multnomah County Board of Commissioners said in a joint release that enough is enough and that the terror and violence ICE is causing in county neighborhoods must end now. It said the county will not stand by as the federal government attacks its neighbors and that the commissioners share residents' anger.
“What we can say now is enough is enough. The terror and violence ICE is causing in our neighborhoods must end now. The County will not stand by as the federal government attacks our neighbors. We stand united in our support for our immigrant and refugee neighbors. Just this morning, we unanimously voted to extend an emergency declaration in response to the ongoing harm caused by ICE activity, and we will keep showing up every way we can. We know County residents are angry. We are angry. Portlanders have a proud tradition of opposing injustice through nonviolent protest, and we encourage our community to keep showing up as they have been to oppose this horrific violence.”
Official statement
Where this statement fits
Was a Border Patrol agent justified in shooting Luis David Niño-Moncada and Yorlenys Zambrano-Contreras in Portland?
On January 8, 2026, at about 2:15 p.m., a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent shot and wounded Luis David Niño-Moncada and Yorlenys Zambrano-Contreras, both Venezuelan nationals, in the parking lot of an Adventist Health clinic in Portland, Oregon's Hazelwood neighborhood, during a vehicle stop conducted by a team of Border Patrol agents. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said the agent fired in self-defense after the driver, Niño-Moncada, 'weaponized his vehicle and attempted to run over the law enforcement agents'; agents said he repeatedly reversed and drove his truck into an unoccupied rental vehicle used by the agents. Initial reporting described the pair as unarmed. DHS also alleged the two had ties to the Tren de Aragua gang and, in Zambrano-Contreras's case, a prostitution ring; Portland Police Chief Bob Day said the gang information did not draw a 'throughline' to the shooting itself. The FBI opened an investigation and initially reported finding no video of the shooting; Oregon's Department of Justice separately opened an investigation. The shooting prompted protests in Portland, including at least six arrests. Niño-Moncada was charged with aggravated assault of a federal officer and damaging federal property; Zambrano-Contreras was charged with improper entry by an alien and pleaded guilty within days, receiving probation. In February 2026, a nearby treatment center released surveillance video that offered a partial view of the incident. In July 2026, federal prosecutors disclaimed the gang-membership allegation and dropped the assault charge, and Niño-Moncada pleaded guilty to the lesser property-damage charge; he was sentenced in September 2026 to time served and ordered deported. Court filings unsealed in September 2026 also disclosed that a Portland police officer's body camera captured a Border Patrol agent attempting to remove an unfired bullet from the scene before being stopped.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
Multnomah County media release from the Board of County Commissioners, dated January 8, 2026.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The board issued the release on January 8, 2026, the afternoon federal Customs and Border Protection agents shot two people in East Portland, according to the release. It said the county was in close coordination with government partners and law enforcement and encouraged patience in sharing information to ensure accuracy.
After the quotation
The release said the board was holding the families and communities of those affected in its thoughts. It encouraged residents to keep showing up as they have been to oppose the violence and said the community must stand together.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The case asks whether the Border Patrol agent was justified in shooting the two people. The board said federal Customs and Border Protection agents shot two people, that the terror and violence ICE is causing in county neighborhoods must end now, and that it encourages residents to keep showing up to oppose this horrific violence. It also encouraged patience in sharing information to ensure accuracy, but it criticized the federal conduct and did not defend it, so we used the label Condemned.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
More from this case
Read the full caseU.S. Attorney's Office for Oregon says an officer fired only after the truck hit a government car twice
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon
“As part of his plea agreement, Nino-Moncada admitted that his conduct placed others at risk of serious bodily injury and that he was conscious of or recklessly disregarded that risk. It was only after defendant struck the government car twice, within just a few feet of the officers’ positions, and with one officer in the path of the truck, that a government officer fired two shots at defendant.”Read statement
Federal prosecutors say the agent's decision to shoot was reasonable
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon
“supports that the shooting officer’s reaction in shooting after the Tacoma nearly ran him over was reasonable in the face of such danger occurring within those brief seconds.”Read statement
Federal defender says the agent likely fired to stop the truck from fleeing, not in self-defense
“was not in position to be hit by the truck; he likely fired to prevent the truck from fleeing rather than in self-defense.”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Multnomah County Board of Commissioners on the federal shooting in East Portland". First published: 2026-09-30. Last updated: 2026-09-30. https://disputeindex.com/events/3445-the-multnomah-county-board-of-commissioners-said-in