Patrick Kimmons
Birth date:
June 17, 1991
Death date:
September 30, 2018
Age at Death:
27
About
Patrick Kimmons, nicknamed Pat Pat, was born in North Portland, Oregon on June 17, 1991. He grew up in a tight-knit family in the St. Johns area of Portland. Kimmons was a father, brother, cousin and son. He was a fan of the Portland Trail Blazers and the Seattle Seahawks. At the time of his death, he was working as a baker. He and his partner of nine years, Sequoia Turner had three children, two sons and a daughter. Family members say that Kimmons was working to be a better man and a better example to his kids. Ms. Turner commented following his death, “It’s scary because I thought I would have lost him to the streets long before the police.” Kimmons worked to take care of his kids, his kid’s mother and his mother, Letha Winston.
Kimmons was fatally shot by two Portland police officers on September 30, 2018. The two officers were providing extra patrol coverage in a part of downtown Portland where there had been gang-related violence when they heard gunshots. Two men had been fighting. Video surveillance shows Kimmons shooting and wounding both of the men. As officers responded to the scene, Kimmons ran towards the officers and was reported to point a gun towards them. Officers fired 12 times, hitting Kimmons nine times. The medical examiner stated he was shot from behind and the front or side. Kimmons was transported to the hospital and was still talking to medical staff, but later died.
Was justice served?
A grand jury convened after hearing the testimony of officers and witnesses, as well as video evidence of the shooting of Kimmons and found that the two officers fired in self-defense. Kimmons’ mother and family members question the video evidence and testimony of the officers. She believes that Kimmons was running away, clearly wounded by a bullet, before officers continued to shoot at him. Winston had been holding weekly protests demanding that the Portland Police Department reopen her son’s case. She has been a frequent speaker at other protests following the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd. As of February 2021, justice has not been served.