Man Fatally Shot by Gresham Officers After Stabbing Incident at Local Motel
Police have identified the man who was shot by Gresham officers after allegedly stabbing a guest at a motel last week. The suspect has been identified as Carlos Corona, a 29-year-old man.
The incident took place at the Golden Knight Motel, located at 750 E. Powell Blvd., on January 9th at around 8:15 p.m. Officers responded to reports of someone screaming for help and arrived to find Corona attempting to force his way into a motel room with a knife.
Despite repeated commands to drop the knife, Corona refused and managed to break into the room. Officers pursued him and discovered him actively stabbing a person inside. In order to protect the safety of the victim, officers Taylor Letsis and Gabriel Hoffman opened fire on Corona, resulting in his death at the scene.
Taylor Letsis, a 17-year veteran of the Gresham Police Department, and Gabriel Hoffman, who has served less than one year with Gresham police, have been placed on leave in accordance with police policy.
The victim of the stabbing, who remains unnamed, was immediately taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The Golden Knight Motel, a privately owned and operated establishment, has been known to provide accommodations for clients funded by Multnomah County. Additionally, the county covers the costs of onsite behavioral health support, according to spokesperson Sarah Dean.
Data shared by Gresham police reveals that they responded to a total of 169 calls at the motel in 2023, including traffic stops. Out of these calls, nearly 40% were welfare checks.
Investigators are currently working towards understanding the motive behind the attack. They are urging anyone who had any prior contact with Carlos Corona prior to the incident to reach out to the Gresham police tip line at 503-618-2719.
If you have any information regarding this incident, please contact the Gresham police tip line at 503-618-2719.
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