Federal Probation Officers Accused of Failing to Supervise Man Standing Trial for Fatally Shooting Three Men

A lawsuit has been brought against federal probation officers accused of failing to supervise Joseph Kelly Banks (51) who is on trial for fatally shooting three men and wounding four others in random attacks in Portland in 2022.

The estate of Mark Johnson (55), one of the men killed in the random attacks, has filed a suit against the U.S. Probation Office, alleging wrongful death and negligence.

Accused Violated Terms of Release on More Than 30 Occasions

Banks is said to have violated the terms of his release on at least 30 occasions before his arrest.

The lawsuit claims it is ‘well documented’ that Banks refused to take psychotropic medications for about six months before his violent shooting spree. The lawsuit claims that Banks has a history of violent criminal behavior when off his medication.

Banks was living in a Northeast Portland group home run by Cameron Care Inc. and his probation officer was repeatedly told that he skipped taking his medicine several times every month. The probation officer was told that Banks could become unpredictable and violent when not taking his medicine.

The lawsuit alleges that the probation officer failed to report the violations to a judge, never arranged a hearing to address the violations, never considered whether Banks needed a change of medication from oral to injection, and never searched his room for a gun that a group home resident feared.

Banks Could Have Been Off the Streets if Probation Officer had Reacted

Attorney Josh Lamborn, representing the estate of the late Johnson, said Banks would have been returned to court and ‘likely’ be in jail if the probation officer had reacted to repeated reports of violations by the group home. Johnson, 55, was killed on the southern edge of Dawson Park just after noon on March 1, 2022.

A Multnomah County judge was told in June by Banks’ criminal defense lawyer, Deborah Burdzik, that her client wished to pursue a defense of guilty, except for insanity to all 11 counts in the three killings and wounding of four others.

Banks had previously been sent to a state psychiatric hospital for evaluation after he was found to be unable to assist in his defense.

In 2007, Banks was found guilty by reason of insanity in a federal court for the illegal possession of a gun as a felon and spent about 10 years in psychiatric care. A judge ruled that Banks be released to a halfway house in February 2021. The judge found that Banks could be stabilized if on psychotropic medication.

Missed Medication and Appeared Delusional

Banks entered the Northeast Portland group home and staff repeatedly reported to the probation officer that Banks was skipping his medication.

By September 2021, the home reported that Banks appeared delusional and making strange comments about him being a dead king come back to life. The following month, Sparks was informed about serious concerns, with staff saying that Banks missed going to work and was often away from the group home.

In November, Cameron Care staff reported that Banks had ‘red, droopy eyes’ and by December, had threatened to r*pe another resident of the home who suspected that Banks had a gun.

On January 2, 2022, Banks allegedly killed Isaiah Hurst (39) in a shooting in North Morgan Street, and a month later on February 2, Jeff Ramirez (35) was allegedly shot and killed, and two other men were wounded by Banks in Southeast Stark Street.

A meeting was held on February 15, 2022, by Cameron Care staff, probation officer Krissie Sparks, and Banks’ medical team, at which concerns were discussed, including that Banks was driving an unregistered car without a license.

The lawsuit claims that the probation officer undertook to relay the information to the court, but never did.

A few days after the meeting, Banks allegedly shot and wounded Thad Thomas and Lilian Cloud in the 3700 block of Northeast Garfield Avenue. He then allegedly shot and killed Johnson on the edge of Dawson Park in Stanton Street.

The lawsuit was filed in the Portland U.S. District Court on Monday. The amount sought by the damages claim is unspecified.