On November 21, 2021, at 3:37 p.m., officers from the East Precinct responded to a welfare check call in the 2400 block of Southeast 171st Avenue. The call originated when a crying woman called dispatch to report that she was being held hostage.
Prior to officers arriving, neighbors called in and said they heard shots being fired in the area. Officers went to the residence, knocked on the door, and were then shot at through the door from the inside by an unknown suspect. Responding officers were able to get to safety and set up a perimeter around the location. Officers did not return fire and no officers were injured. Officers reported hearing additional shots being fired from within the residence.
The Special Emergency Response Team (SERT) and the Crisis Negotiation Team (CNT) responded to the location. Many attempts were made by CNT to contact anyone inside and those attempts were unsuccessful. Those attempts to communicate were by telephone and by loud hailing the suspect by use of the Long Range Acoustic Devise (LRAD).
Members of SERT began to break windows at the location to get a better view inside. Once the windows were broken, a suspect from inside the location began shooting in the direction of officers. A chemical agent was deployed into the residence and the suspect started shooting again. Officers did not return fire and continued to loud hail the suspect using the LRAD, asking them to surrender.
Eventually, officers were able to breach a barricaded door and enter the residence with a robot. Officers could see a male suspect inside, crawling around on his hands and knees. The suspect then barricaded himself in another room in the residence. At 1:12 a.m., members of SERT were able to make entry into that room and take the suspect into custody.
Officers located a female inside the residence who was deceased. The Oregon State Medical Examiner will determine the cause and manner of death. The victim has been identified as Mariela Gonzalez Rocha, 29, of Portland. This picture was provided for public release by her family.
Davonte A. Donahue, 29, was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center after being discharged from a local hospital. The woman who called 911 and reported being held hostage in the apartment in which Donahue was arrested was found deceased. The woman’s cause and manner of death must be determined by the Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office before her identity is released.
Davonte A. Donahue has been charged with:
Murder in the First Degree (Domestic Violence)
Felon in Possession of a Firearm (Domestic Violence)
Attempt Murder in the First Degree (Five Counts)
Multnomah County Warrant