Portland police on Sunday charged a man with firing several shots into the department’s parking garage July 5, damaging a police cruiser, the department said in a statement.
Police charged Abdikareem Hassan, 32, of Portland with reckless conduct with a dangerous weapon and illegal possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, both felonies.
Abdikareem Hassan
The motivation for the attack is unclear, police said. Chief Frank Clark thanked the public for its support following the shooting.
“This type of attack on law enforcement is disheartening and personal, but the overwhelming number of positive letters, social media posts, statements denouncing violence against the department, and the calls we have received reaffirm our belief that we have the support of our community,” Clark said.
Police say the shooting occurred about 10:42 p.m. July 5, when someone in a dark sedan drove by the entrance to the police garage on Newbury Street and fired several rounds into the structure. No one was injured. Police found a handgun nearby that they believe was used in the shooting.
Hassan was stopped by officers on Franklin Street about 11:30 p.m. when they saw his vehicle hit a curb near the intersection with Cumberland Avenue, police said.
He was driving a vehicle similar to the one reported to have been used in the drive-by shooting that night, and police discovered that the car had been reported stolen that evening. Hassan was arrested after the traffic stop on charges of operating under the influence, operating a vehicle while being a habitual offender and unauthorized use of property.
While in custody at the police station, police said, Hassan became uncooperative and assaulted a police officer and an FBI agent, and damaged a police vehicle. Police are seeking charges of assault on a police officer, two counts of refusal to submit to arrest or detention, and criminal mischief, in addition to a federal charge for his alleged assault on the FBI agent.
Hassan appeared via video link in Cumberland County Unified Criminal Court on Monday, where bail was set at $25,000 cash with conditions, after Hassan reserved the right to argue over the bail amount at a later date.
During the brief appearance, Hassan spoke only to confirm his birth date and status as a citizen; he was not asked to enter a plea because the charges are felonies, and require an indictment by grand jury to proceed. Hassan declined a request for a phone interview Monday afternoon. His next court date is Dec. 16.
During the appearance, District Attorney Jonathan Sahrbeck offered a brief description of the evidence against Hassan. Sahrbeck said video surveillance footage showed the vehicle involved in the shooting roll through a stop sign near the entrance to the parking garage before someone in the driver’s seat fired five shots into the garage. The muzzle flashes were visible in the video, and police found three casings near where the shots were fired.
Sahrbeck said police eventually recovered the other two casings in the area of the vehicle’s windshield near the wipers. Police said previously that they had applied for a warrant to search the vehicle Hassan was driving.
The surveillance video then showed the vehicle stop at the end of Newbury Street, where a person got out of the vehicle, put down a bottle of some kind and walked away. Police found the firearm they believe was used in the shooting near the same intersection of Newbury and Pearl streets.
According to Sahrbeck, police linked the firearm to Hassan via a test for DNA. Police also tested the bottle, and found none of Hassan’s DNA, Sahrbeck said.
The only other person in the car with Hassan when he was stopped received a citation, police said. Christine Adiye, 28, of Portland, was issued a court summons for unauthorized use of property and was released.
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