Portland Police Release Footage of Fatal Shooting That Killed Homicide Suspect and K9 Kylo

Portland police released body-camera footage on Thursday showing the moments officers shot and killed 39-year-old Eddie Brandon Todd Campbell and police dog Kylo during an operation on Sept. 24. As law enforcement closed in following a Gresham murder investigation, the multi-agency pursuit ended in a fatal exchange in a motel parking lot.

That same day, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office announced that investigators had ruled the officers’ use of force lawful and justified under Oregon law, deciding the case would not go to a grand jury. The incident began shortly after 7 a.m. on Sept. 24 when the Gresham Police Department conducted a welfare check at a residence in the 17900 block of Southeast Market Street and found 60-year-old Jeff Thompson—also referred to in reports as Jeff Robinson—shot in the head, according to KOIN.

Campbell Flees Police and Attempts to Carjack Woman

Investigators identified Campbell as the primary suspect in the killing and tracked a vehicle taken from the scene to a motel in Southeast Portland. Authorities requested assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force. When officers moved in to arrest Campbell near Southeast 99th Avenue and Pine Street at around 1:48 p.m., he fled on foot, as detailed by The Oregonian/Oregon Live.

Photo: koin.com

During the foot chase, police reported that Campbell attempted to carjack a woman, though she refused to exit her vehicle and accelerated away. Portland Police Bureau Officer Jerry Ables, a 21-year veteran of the force, then deployed his K-9 partner Kylo off-leash to apprehend the fleeing suspect. Body-camera footage shows Kylo catching up to Campbell in the parking lot of the Chestnut Tree Inn located in the 9600 block of Southeast Stark Street, where the dog latched onto Campbell’s backpack and dragged him to the ground.

Shots Fired and Fatal Injuries

Once on the ground, Campbell drew a silver .22 caliber firearm and pointed it at the approaching officers while ignoring commands to drop the weapon. Prosecutors and police noted that the firearm was not loaded and Campbell did not fire a shot, but investigators determined the weapon matched the caliber used in the Gresham homicide.

In response, Officer Ables fired his bureau-issued weapon four times, and Officer Kameron Fender—a 17-year veteran of the K-9 unit—fired five times. Deputy U.S. Marshal Aaron Pfenning and Clackamas County Sheriff’s Deputy Christian Diaz fired a combined four rifle rounds. Campbell was struck 10 times in the torso and arms and died at the scene. Police dog Kylo was also struck by the gunfire.

Reviews and Administrative Status

Officers rendered first aid to Campbell immediately after the shooting. Meanwhile, Kylo was rushed to two animal hospitals before veterinarians and handlers made the difficult decision to euthanize him on what was scheduled to be his final shift before retirement. Prosecutors stated that Kylo did not bite Campbell, a finding supported by an autopsy that showed no dog bite injuries.

Photo: oregonlive.com

Officers Ables and Fender were placed on paid administrative leave in accordance with standard protocol. The Portland Police Bureau confirmed that the use of deadly force is undergoing multiple independent reviews, covering criminal, policy, procedure, and training analyses, and will be evaluated by the Police Review Board to determine if the actions complied with agency policy.