Oregon Family Started to Sob When Accused Found Not Guilty of Murder
The family of Ryan Martin, shot dead by Geoffrey Hammond in downtown Portland on October 11, 2023, broke down sobbing when a jury failed to convict him of murder in the Multnomah County Circuit Court yesterday (Monday).
Jury Deadlocked After Three Days of Deliberation
After three days of deliberation, the jury deadlocked on the charge of murder but returned a guilty verdict of first-degree assault and two counts of unlawful use of a weapon. Judge Jenna Plank ruled that Hammond remains in custody pending a new trial.
In Oregon, guilty verdicts must be unanimous.
Geoffrey Hammond, An Uber Driver, was Hustling for a Fare Outside the Moxy Hotel
Hammond (48), an Uber driver, was also charged with wounding Sam Gomez in the incident which occurred outside the Moxy Hotel where he was parked three feet from the curb while hustling for a fare.
Martin (47), who worked at Nike, was on his way to Vancouver to watch his daughter’s soccer game when he arrived on the scene where Hammond’s parked vehicle was snarling traffic.
According to surveillance footage, Martin climbed out of his truck and approached Hammond who grabbed a handgun from under his seat, shooting Martin in the chest. Less than a minute later, Gomez arrived on the scene and started taking photographs with his phone. Hammond shot Gomez in the leg.
Hammond was not called to testify at his trial but in a recorded interview after his arrest implied that Martin and Gomez were operating in cahoots. However, Gomez testified that he was visiting from Arizona and was walking around town when he heard a commotion and took a photo seconds before he was shot.
Testimony was that after the shooting, Hammond called 911 and drove to a nearby parking garage where he surrendered to the police.
Defense attorneys did not dispute the shootings but argued that their client acted in self-defense. They described Martin as an angry motorist and said Hammond mistook a coffee cup held by Gomez for a gun.
Sources & References
- Oregon Judicial Department – Records