A wealthy Portland businessman shot a man to death Wednesday in the heat of a road rage battle, then pointed the gun at a bystander who dared to film the killing, according to a report.
The grisly image captured Geoffrey E. Hammond, 46, pointing the firearm at Samuel Gomez from the safety of his Mercedes with victim Ryan Martin lying dead in the street.
Hammond allegedly fired two shots at Gomez, hitting him once in the leg, before he was thrown away.
“He loaded the gun and just stared at me and then, as you can see in the photo, he just shot me,” Gomez told The Oregonian.
The incredible encounter unfolded in the city center when Hammond, owner of the financial company Aequantium, stopped his Mercedes Benz SUV in front of the Moxy Hotel on Southwest Alder, partially blocking traffic.
Martin, 47, pulled up behind him and tried to encourage Hammond to move, but the two “exchanged the middle finger” as Martin drove around Hammond,” according to an arrest affidavit.
Ryan Martin was fatally shot by Hammond after confronting the businessman for partially blocking the road. Portland Police Bureau
Martin got out of his car and tried to approach Hammond, who then began loading a gun despite later admitting to officers that he could see Martin was unarmed when he punched the windows of the Mercedes.
“It is unclear what, if anything, Ryan Martin said while banging on the window,” the affidavit says, “but witnesses described screaming.”
That’s when Hammond allegedly rolled down the window and shot Martin in the chest.
Martin tried to plead with Hammond for his life, telling him: “I’m sorry. I had a bad day,” but the gunman allegedly tried to shoot the dying man a second time. The gun jammed, police said.
Hammond stopped his Mercedes Benz SUV in front of the Moxy Hotel on Southwest Alder to partially block traffic. KGW News/YouTube Hammond faces multiple charges, including second-degree murder with a firearm, attempted second-degree murder with a firearm, first-degree assault with a firearm and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon. KGW News/YouTube
“You’re lucky he didn’t shoot you in the head,” witnesses recalled Hammond saying, adding that the businessman also flashed a badge “like he was a police officer.”
As Hammond continued to tinker with the gun, Gomez, a Phoenix resident, walked out of the Moxy Hotel, where he had been attending a National Organization of Minority Architects conference as a presenter, and stumbled upon Martin’s final moments.
Gómez took out his phone to record the madness and Captured the moment Hammond pulled out his gun. working again and pointed it at the cameraman, according to court records.
The bullet passed through one of Gómez’s legs and then broke the femur of the other.
Hammond fired another shot as he walked away, but missed his target.
Despite fleeing the crime scene, Hammond called 911 while driving to the county courthouse and admitted to shooting the two men. KGW News/YouTube
“Everything changed,” Gómez recalled. “I’m just grateful to be alive because it could have been worse.”
Gómez was rushed to the hospital in stable condition. Martin, however, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Despite fleeing the crime scene, Hammond called 911 while driving to the county courthouse and admitted he shot the two men.
“He believed he was justified in doing so because Ryan Martin was threatening him and because Sam Gomez may have had a gun,” the affidavit states, adding that he thought Gomez “may have been planning an ambush that he recognized as a military tactic.”
Martin tried to plead with Hammond for his life, telling him: “I’m sorry. I had a bad day,” but the gunman allegedly tried to shoot the dying man a second time. The gun jammed, police said. Portland Police Bureau
Hammond’s confessions were made with little remorse, the affidavit says.
The businessman told officers he believed he was being harassed by groups of people.
“Law enforcement interviewed numerous witnesses and obtained a significant amount of video footage of the shooting,” the affidavit concludes. “Not a single witness described seeing or hearing anything that would have remotely justified the use of deadly force.”
He faces multiple charges, including second-degree murder with a firearm, attempted second-degree murder with a firearm, first-degree assault with a firearm and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon.
Hammond reportedly recently changed his name from Jeffrey Edward Mandalis, who has a criminal record in Illinois with charges ranging from assault and vandalism to burglary and domestic assault.
Hammond now owns an $890,000 home in Portland’s West Hills, according to court records.
Hammond alleges that Martin was threatening him and that the bystander had a gun, so shooting was justified. Portland Police Bureau
He filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in May 2023 for owing approximately $34,000 in credit card debt and closed his company Aequantium, which managed pooled funds that invested in commodity futures and related securities.
He founded Aequantium in 2020 and has spoken about the company at multiple conferences, including CoinGeek in New York City in 2021.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn