Man Dies Following Incident in Old Town; Homicide Investigation Now Underway

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On Tuesday, August 18, 2026, at approximately 11:30 p.m., officers assigned to the Portland Police Bureau's Central Precinct responded to reports of a fire-related incident near Northwest Davis Street and Northwest Naito Parkway. When they arrived, officers located an adult male, later identified as 54-year-old Anthony "Tony" Knights, with severe burns to a significant portion of his body. Knights was transported to a local hospital with life-threatening injuries. The initial investigation indicated that Knights' injuries were the result of an intentional act committed by an individual who fled the scene. The suspect was not located despite an exhaustive search by officers.

On Saturday, August 22, 2026, PPB was notified that Knights died as a result of his injuries. A subsequent autopsy conducted by the Medical Examiner on August 24 determined that Knights died of homicide due to complications of thermal injuries. Knights' family has been notified of his death. They are requesting privacy at this time, but they did provide a photo for public release.

PPB's Homicide Unit and the Portland Fire Investigations Unit, a unit composed of personnel from both PPB and Portland Fire & Rescue, are actively investigating this case. Anyone with information, who has not talked with authorities, is asked to contact [email protected] and reference case number 26-241822.

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