Driver intentionally plowed into Portland homeless camp, killing a man, court filing alleges

PORTLAND, Ore. -- A man driving a stolen car has been accused of intentionally plowing into a homeless camp early Sunday morning, killing one person, according to documents filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court.

Shane McKeever, 22, faces first-degree manslaughter and reckless driving charges.

Police arrived at Southeast Belmont Street and Grand Avenue at around 3 a.m. Sunday, responding to a report that a car had slammed into tents, court records state.

An officer saw a car with damage to the front end facing west in the eastbound lane of Belmont Street. He then heard someone yelling that a person needed medical attention at a small parking lot just down the road.

Court records reported that the officer saw “several tents, wood pallets and debris that appeared to have been run over.” The officer also found a man with a head injury in the debris.

The injured man, identified in court records as David Bentley, was taken to a hospital by ambulance. Bentley died later in the day.

A witness told police he was standing on the north sidewalk of the encampment while talking to Bentley when a “vehicle suddenly approached them driving 40-50 miles per hour before striking Bentley.”

The witness told the officer that the car dragged Bentley on the sidewalk, then turned around and tried to run him over, according to court records.

When other police officers arrived, people nearby said they spotted the driver near Belmont Street and Water Avenue. The driver allegedly had abandoned the car and run from the scene.

McKeever was taken into custody, the court documents state.

On Monday, McKeever appeared in court. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is due back in court in March.

Police discovered that the car that hit Bentley had been stolen Saturday in outer Southeast Portland.