Man fatally stabbed on Portland’s Steel Bridge identified

Steel Bridge Stabbing March 15

Police converged on Portland's waterfront path near the Steel Bridge on Friday, March 15, 2024, after a man was stabbed to death on the path in the early afternoon.Austin De Dios/The Oregonian

Police identified the 38-year-old man fatally stabbed on the Steel Bridge on Friday as Fernando Luis Aguirre.

Officers responded to reports of a stabbing on the lower deck of the downtown Portland bridge around 1:15 p.m. to find Aguirre badly injured. Officers applied tourniquets to try to stop the bleeding, and paramedics then transported Aguirre to hospital, where he died.

Portland police publicly identified a suspect in the deadly daylight attack Saturday.

The 31-year-old suspect was booked into Multnomah County jail on allegations of second-degree manslaughter, unlawful use of a weapon and other charges. But prosecutors did not press charges against the man at his arraignment Monday, citing a lack of evidence, and he was released.

The spokesperson for the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, Elizabeth Merah, told The Oregonian/OregonLive that prosecutors are reviewing video evidence that could “shed light on the level of culpability of the involved parties.”

— Austin De Dios covers public safety and diversity, equity and inclusion. Reach him at 503-319-9744, adedios@oregonian.com or @AustinDeDios.

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