Police ID Hatchet-Wielding Man Killed By Gresham Officers

GRESHAM, OR — Police on Monday identified the hatchet-wielding man who was killed by two Gresham officers during a confrontation last Thursday as 24-year-old Gresham resident Dmitri Brigham Bullard.

According to police, Bullard was shot by Gresham officers Joshua Price and Brendon Hayes while charging the pair with a hatchet in-hand.

The shooting was reportedly the culmination of a late-night car prowler investigation that began when Gresham officers were dispatched to Southeast Gresham just before midnight on May 17.

Searching for a male car prowler suspect, officers quickly spotted the suspect vehicle near Southwest Butler and Southeast Regner roads, police authorities said. But when the officers tried to stop the car, the driver — later identified as Bullard — fled west on Southwest Butler Road.

Officers reportedly chose not to pursue Bullard at that time.

Bullard's car was spotted again on Southwest Butler Road a short time later as he neared Southwest 190th Drive. But, when the officers tried to stop him once more, Bullard fled again, this time north on Southeast 190th Drive.

Several blocks north, after Southeast 190th Drive turns into Southwest Pleasant View Drive, Bullard crashed his vehicle police said.

As officers tried to contact him at the crash scene, Bullard reportedly emerged from his car armed with a hatchet and was shot as he charged police.

Bullard died at the scene, police said.

A former resident of Farmington, Utah, Bullard had been in Oregon at least since July 2016, when he was arrested in Multnomah County for allegedly stealing from a Home Depot. At the time of his death, Bullard had an open bench warrant for his arrest stemming from that misdemeanor theft case.

The investigation into this shooting will reportedly continue. Anyone who has information about the shooting or Bullard is encouraged to call the Gresham Police at 503-618-2719.

Image via Gresham Police Department