On June 27, 2022, a serial felon allegedly kicked a retired professor, 82, to his death at one of the city’s public bus stops. The violent crime comes on the coattails of a surge in crime plaguing much of Portland, Oregon, as well as other metropolises across the United States of America.

This attack occurred near the Portland State University campus in downtown Portland, Oregon, and resulted in an attack on 82-year-old Donald A. Pierce and 88-year-old Edward Lichtenstein.

The suspect in the attack has a long criminal history. His name is Keffer James White, and he is reported to be twenty-nine years old. The incident occurred when White approached the two elderly men and began making fun of them for being old. Witnesses saw the events unfold and described the horror that happened near the public bus stop in Portland.

White headbutted Lichtenstein, which knocked the senior citizen onto the ground. He then knocked Pierce to the street with a blow to the body. When Pierce was down on the ground, White repeatedly kicked him in the head. Both men were rushed to the hospital.

However, Pierce died from the injuries he sustained during the senseless attack about a week after the attack occurred. Lichtenstein was lucky enough to survive the ordeal and has been released from his stay at the hospital.

White has been charged with second-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, and an additional charge of second-degree assault. White is no stranger to crime. His rap sheet is quite long and includes prior assaults, felony possession of a firearm, and unauthorized use of a vehicle.

Portland authorities are holding White in jail without bail because of the violence he committed against the senior citizens. He is currently awaiting the next steps in his trial at the Multnomah County Jail.

He is expected to be hauled out of his cell for a courtroom visit this past Friday.

Pierce was a successful professor. He lived in Southwest Portland. He received his Ph.D. in statistics from Oklahoma State University back in 1965. He would teach at Oregon State University for 30 years, from 1966 to 1996.

In 1996, Pierce traveled to Japan so he could study the effects of the atomic bomb on residents of Japan.

In addition to his work as a professor, Pierce also worked outside of academic institutions. He worked for several academic publications and authored articles for academic journals. He also served on the board of several statistics associations.

Portland has experienced a rise in violent crime in recent years, including a surge in gun violence. The city has experienced 670 shootings this year so far, and a reported 41 homicides.

Oregon also decriminalized possession of personal use amounts of street drugs like heroin, LSD, oxycodone, and other drugs that are considered highly addictive.

Drug overdose deaths in 2021 rose by more than 40 percent from the prior year to 1,069 individuals dead.

What do you think about the rising crime in Portland?