PORTLAND, OR – A man accused of stabbing his girlfriend before engaging in a standoff with the police has been arrested on Wednesday. Beka Nebi Dekebo, 29, now faces charges of second-degree attempted murder as well as unlawful use of a weapon. He also faces additional charges of domestic violence.
A probable cause statement from the Portland Police indicates that the assault led officers to a train platform at East Burnside Street and Southeast 122nd Avenue, at around 2.30 a.m. Here, they were led to a bleeding woman with multiple stab wounds, being helped by bystanders. She was then able to walk to the ambulance after receiving medical assistance.
The woman told authorities that her boyfriend, Dekebo, had woken her telling her she needed to “repent” and stabbed her without provocation. Dekebo, who suffers from schizophrenia and is reported to be off medication, had previously attempted to stab her, she revealed.
Upon learning that Dekebo might be at their nearby apartment, authorities moved swiftly to the site, finding a bloodied emergency exit and other signs of the stabbing along the building stairway. Upon locating their apartment, Dekebo responded to a police call to come out and surrender, by stating, “I’m going to come out shooting,” thereby sparking the ensuing standoff.
The standoff continued for hours, with Dekebo periodically peeking out, engaging aimlessly with officers but refusing to step out. Despite claims that he possessed a firearm, he showed no evidence of one.
Members of the Portland police Special Emergency Reaction Team and the Crisis Negotiation Team took up negotiation efforts, which again proved fruitless. Dekebo was eventually arrested when the apartment was stormed several hours later. Police recovered a kitchen knife and bloodied clothing, while finding no traces of a gun.
The victim, while hospitalized, is reported to be out of immediate danger.