Bartender shoots, injures armed robbery suspect in Mt. Scott Pub | Community Spirit

PORTLAND, Ore. - Customers in a SE Portland pub are praising actions by a bartender who shot an armed robber and then held the suspect at gunpoint until police arrived.

Police said a man entered the Mt. Scott Pub on Southeast 72nd and Woodstock at about 12:45 a.m. Wednesday brandishing a gun in an attempt to rob the establishment. There were three employees and three customers in the bar at the time.

In an updated press release sent out Wednesday morning, police said the suspect entered the bar with a loaded sawed-off rifle and demanded money from the bartender. The bartender then fled to the back room and suspect chased him, then came back into the bar and opened the till and took money. Police said he then continued to threaten patrons with the rifle.

Police said a second pub employee, 57-year-old Ormand "Stub" Fentress, retrieved a gun from the bar and as the suspect continued to threaten patrons with the loaded rifle, Fentress fired multiple shots at the suspect's lower body, hitting the suspect and causing him to fall to the ground.

The man is expected to survive and was taken to a hospital via ambulance. Police did not say exactly how many times he was shot.

Fentress then called police to report the incident and to say he was holding the suspect at gunpoint. Police said Fentress was fully cooperating with officers.

Regular customer Nate Vineyard said he witnessed the shooting along with two roommates. "When he came in the bar, he drew down on myself and my two roommates asking where the bartender was. I tried to tell him they were outside because the owner and the bartender and one of the other workers were in the back and I didn’t want them to go in the back."

He also said he had no problem with the bartender's actions in shooting the suspect. "When somebody comes in... threatens people that work here and patrons, you know, we take care of our own," Vinyard said. "I guess it's kind of karma. You try to hurt and take from other people and this is what happens."

Vineyard told KATU News that the suspect had a bandana over his face and was wearing a hood over his head. He said the man had a gun out when he walked into the bar.

There was no immediate confirmation on what types of weapons were involved. The name of the suspect has not yet been released.