Ore. Police Face Another Fireworks-Throwing Crowd at Street Takeover

Officers faced a hostile crowd and fireworks being launched at them as they attempted to stop racers from taking over an intersection in Southeast Portland on Labor Day, the Police Bureau said.

When officers made a traffic stop in the 5000 block of Southeast 82nd Avenue at about 7:30 p.m. on Monday, racing spectators surrounded them – and fireworks were directed at them, according to police. In response, about four dozen officers arrived, leading the event organizer to abandon the illegal street takeover.

While most people dispersed, some racers remained at the scene, and officers began making traffic stops, the Police Bureau said in a statement. Police issued four citations and towed one car.

Officers arrested one person, Alejandro Guillermo Ramirez, 27, of Portland. He faces charges of unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a loaded firearm in public and reckless driving, according to the Police Bureau.

The event follows a series of Aug. 23 street takeovers in Portland where police hopscotched across the city in pursuit of racers, finding them “doing donuts, speeding, running red lights and zig-zagging through lanes of traffic.” Officers that night pulled over 29 drivers, towed six cars, issued four citations and arrested two people.

Street racing has been a persistent problem in Portland and other cities in recent years. The Portland Police Bureau documented 139 street-takeover events in the city in 2024.

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