Portland man Michael Gorman arrested for shooting BB gun at beers cans
A Portland, Oregon lawyer was arrested this weekend for shooting a BB gun, a rifle, at his apartment complex near the Oregon Convention Center.
Michael Erin Gorman
Gorman, 37, explained to police that was teaching his girlfriend how to shoot the gun and had been shooting beer cans on the balcony, which prompted a woman on the street to snap photos and call police, thinking the weapon was a real assault weapon.
The woman heard popping noises coming from above her while walking on a sky bridge near the luxury apartment complex on 22 NE 2nd Ave, called Yard.
To police, she described Gorman as a shirtless white male on the 15th floor pointing what looked to be a rifle downward at the street. This was around 1:15 p.m. and she gave the authorities her photos.
He pled not guilty in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Monday to misdemeanor charges: one count of discharge firearm in city and two counts of second-degree disorderly conduct.
A police officer with military training noted that from 10 feet away he couldn’t tell the difference between Gorman’s BB gun and an AR-15 or an M-4 rifle.
Gorman was now been confirmed to be an Oregon lawyer, a licensed member of the Oregon State Bar.
He was booked into jail Saturday then released later that day.
Gorman had laughed upon seeing the photos of himself, telling police he thought he looked funny, the arrest affidavit said.
Police stressed “the seriousness of the situation given the history of mass shooters and his proximity to the (Oregon) Convention Center that was packed with people here for the Comic Con event.”
