A Portland jury has now reportedly acquitted a man who openly admitted to stabbing a stranger near a downtown transit stop, after video captured the wounded man shouting a racial slur following the attack. The case highlights once again the chaotic state of public safety in Portland, where violent encounters among homeless individuals continue to overwhelm law enforcement and the courts.
Multnomah County prosecutors charged 43-year-old Gary Edwards with second-degree assault for stabbing Gregory Howard Jr. on July 7 near the Union Station MAX stop, according to Oregon Live. Under Oregon’s Measure 11 mandatory minimums, Edwards faced a potential sentence of five years and ten months in state prison. Edwards testified that he acted in self-defense, claiming Howard yelled a racial slur at him before the confrontation. Howard denied using the slur before the stabbing.
Transit surveillance footage played for jurors showed Edwards approaching Howard from behind while holding a fixed-blade knife. Howard was sitting on a bench at the time. When Howard noticed Edwards, he jumped up and shoved him, and the two briefly struggled. Edwards then stabbed Howard in the shoulder before walking away.
Defense attorney Daniel Small argued that the decisive evidence came not from the initial scuffle but from what happened afterward. Security officers’ body cameras recorded Howard shouting the racial slur multiple times following the stabbing. Small urged the jury to consider why Howard reacted that way if he had not perceived some racial hostility toward Edwards. “What other than racism could explain why Mr. Howard perceived hatred, animosity and aggression from a complete stranger?” Small asked.
Prosecutor Katherine Williams countered that the slur was irrelevant and came only after Howard was already stabbed. She argued Edwards was the aggressor from the start. “The defendant is not scared for his life,” Williams told jurors. “He didn’t retreat, he sauntered up — and he sauntered away after he stabbed someone. The defendant created the situation.”
The jury ultimately sided with Edwards, acquitting him of all charges.
Both Edwards and Howard are homeless and have histories of violent crime. Edwards previously received a three-year sentence for a 2020 stabbing at another MAX station. Howard was convicted of felony child rape in Washington state in 1997.
The July stabbing took place shortly after 9:30 a.m., according to KPTV. Portland police later arrested Edwards with assistance from the Central Bike Squad.
The acquittal marks yet another troubling episode in a city still struggling with high crime, rampant homelessness, and a justice system frequently overwhelmed by repeat offenders. Portland’s transit system has remained a flashpoint for public safety concerns, with violent incidents — often involving individuals with extensive criminal pasts — continuing to undermine confidence in local leadership and law enforcement.
As Portland grapples with ongoing breakdowns in order and accountability, cases like this serve as stark reminders of the city’s continuing public safety crisis.
[READ MORE: Trump Reportedly Weighs Replacing DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Eyes Governor Glenn Youngkin as Possible Successor]
