The mother of Quanice Hayes, the 17-year-old shot and killed by a police officer investigating a robbery Thursday, recalled her son’s “magnetic personality” during a vigil on Sunday.
Dozens gathered for the candlelight vigil in the parking lot of the Banfield Pet Hospital, 1816 N.E. 82nd Ave., near where Hayes was shot. Police said he was a suspect in an earlier robbery outside the nearby Portland Value Inn.
His mother, Venus Hayes, said her son was idolized by his four siblings and that he would rather stay at home for a meal with his family than go out with his friends.
“We remember him as a vivacious, outgoing and loving soul who marched to the beat of his own drum,” she said, reading from a prepared statement. She noted his “unique” sense of style, saying he was fond of purple skinny jeans and wore a necklace she had wrapped around her wrist on Sunday.
She asked the public to “refrain from speculation” about the circumstances surrounding his death, and asked anyone with information to contact the American Civil Liberties Union and the Portland Police Bureau.
Police had said Hayes approached a man sitting in his car outside the Portland Value Inn, 1707 N.E. 82nd Ave., on Thursday morning, and had what appeared to be a gun, Simpson said. A motel employee said Hayes took the man’s Oregon food benefits card.
Police later responded to a report of a car prowl at the pet hospital, where they encountered Hayes, who fled, police said.
He was shot by Officer Andrew Hearst, and a replica gun was found nearby, police said. The police bureau, which has not said what prompted Hearst to shoot, released no further details Sunday.
— Elliot Njus
enjus@oregonian.com
503-294-5034
@enjus
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