A wealthy Portland businessman fatally shot a man to death Wednesday in the heat of a road rage battle — and then passed the gun on to bystanders who dared to film the killing, according to reports.
The gruesome footage captured Geoffrey E. Hammond, 46, pointing a gun at Samuel Gomez from the safety of his Mercedes with victim Ryan Martin lying dead on the road.
Hammond allegedly fired two shots at Gomez, hitting him once in the leg, before passing out.
“He put the gun down and he just looked at me and then, as you can see in the picture, just appeared me,” Gomez told The Oregonian.
The unbelievable encounter took place in the downtown area when Hammond — who owns financial company Aequantium — stopped his Mercedes Benz SUV in front of the Moxy Hotel in Southwest Alder so it blocked some traffic.
Martin, 47, pulled up behind him and tried to encourage Hammond to move, but the two “exchanged middle fingers” as Martin drove around Hammond,” according to the arrest affidavit.
Ryan Martin was fatally shot by Hammond after confronting the businessman for blocking part of the road. Portland Police Bureau
Martin got out of his car and tried to approach Hammond, who then began loading the gun despite admitting to officers later that he could see Martin was unarmed when he knocked on the Mercedes’ window.
“It’s unclear what, if anything Ryan Martin said while knocking on the window,” the affidavit reads, “but witnesses described screaming.”
That’s when Hammond allegedly rolled down the window and shot Martin in the chest.
Martin tries to plead with Hammond for his life — telling him, “I’m sorry. I had a bad day” — but the gunman allegedly tried to fire a second shot at the dying man. The gun jammed, police said.
Hammond stopped his Mercedes Benz SUV in front of the Moxy Hotel in Southwest Alder to partially block traffic. KGW News/YouTube Hammond faces multiple charges, including second-degree murder with a firearm, attempted second-degree murder with a firearm, first-degree assault with a firearm firearms and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon.KGW News/YouTube
“You’re lucky I didn’t shoot you in the head,” witnesses recalled Hammond saying, adding that the businessman also showed a badge “as if he were a cop.”
As Hammond continued to fiddle with the weapon, Phoenix resident Gomez walked out of the Moxy Hotel, where he was attending the National Society of Minority Architects conference as a presenter and stumbled upon Martin’s final moments.
Gomez pulled out her phone to record the madness and caught when Hammond got his gun worked again and aimed at the cameraman, court records state.
The bullet went through one of Gomez’s legs and then broke the femur on the side of his leg.
Hammond took another shot as he drove away, but missed his target.
Despite fleeing the scene, Hammond called 911 as he drove himself to the county courthouse, admitting to dispatch that he shot the two men.KGW News/YouTube
“Everything just changed,” Gomez recalled. “I’m just thankful I’m alive because it could have been worse.”
Gomez was rushed to the hospital in stable condition. Martin, however, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Despite fleeing the scene, Hammond called 911 as he drove himself to the county courthouse, admitting to dispatch that he shot the two men.
“He believed he was justified in doing so because Ryan Martin threatened him and because Sam Gomez might have a weapon,” the affidavit said, adding that he thought Gomez “may have planned an ambush that he admitted was a military tactic.”
Martin tries to plead with Hammond for his life — telling him, “I’m sorry. I had a bad day” — but the gunman allegedly tried to fire a second shot at the dying man. The gun jammed, police said. Portland Police Bureau
Hammond’s confession was delivered with little remorse, the affidavit said.
The businessman told officers he believed he was being stalked by a group of people.
“Law enforcement interviewed numerous witnesses and obtained a large amount of video footage of the shooting,” the affidavit concluded. “Not a single witness described seeing or hearing anything that would justify the use of deadly force.”
He faces multiple charges, including second-degree murder with a firearm, attempted second-degree murder with a firearm, first-degree assault with a firearm and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon.
According to reports, Hammond recently changed his name from Jeffrey Edward Mandalis — who has a criminal rap sheet in Illinois with charges ranging from assault and vandalism to domestic assault and battery.
Hammond currently owns an $890,000 home in Portland’s West Hills, according to court records.
Hammond claims Martin threatened him and that the bystanders had guns, so he was allowed to shoot. Portland Police Bureau
He filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in May 2023 owing about $34,000 in credit card debt and shuttered his company Aequantium, which manages a pooled fund that invests in commodity futures and related securities.
He founded Aequantium in 2020 and spoke about the venture at several conferences, including CoinGeek in New York City in 2021.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
