A family visiting Portland from Michigan faced a terrifying struggle at Tom McCall Waterfront Park after police say a naked man grabbed their 7-year-old daughter and tried to pull her away, while bystanders stepped in because officers had not yet arrived despite several earlier 911 calls.
KATU News reporter Jennifer Singh said the confrontation happened near Salmon Street Springs shortly after 7 p.m., when 31-year-old Daniel C. Vasey allegedly approached the family, seized the girl by one arm, and began pulling while her mother held onto the other.
The struggle became so forceful that the child was lifted off the ground, according to police. Her parents and at least five bystanders then punched, slapped, pulled, kicked, and sprayed the suspect until he finally released her.
Witnesses later told KATU that police did not arrive for more than 30 minutes, with some estimates placing the delay closer to 40 minutes. By then, ordinary people at the waterfront had already become the child’s immediate line of defense.
Calls Began Before the Alleged Kidnapping
Portland police said dispatchers first alerted officers at 6:51 p.m. after someone reported a naked man running around the 1000 block of Southwest Naito Parkway.
Less than five minutes later, another caller reported that the same man had tried to punch someone in the head.
Those reports suggested escalating and unpredictable behavior before the child was ever approached, but police said no Central Precinct officers were available because they were handling other priority calls.
At 7:03 p.m., a third caller reported that a man was trying to take a young girl from her mother.
Only then were officers from the North Precinct sent toward the waterfront because Central Precinct still had no available units.
The timeline raises an obvious public-safety concern. Even before the attempted kidnapping call, dispatchers reportedly had information that a naked man was running through a busy tourist area and had allegedly tried to assault someone, yet no officer was free to intervene.
The Girl Was Lifted During the Struggle
Singh reported that Vasey allegedly walked directly toward the visiting family, grabbed the girl’s arm, and pulled her away from her mother.
The mother refused to let go, leading to a tug-of-war in which the child was briefly raised off the ground.
Police said the girl’s father, mother, and nearby witnesses immediately joined the struggle.
Bystanders began striking and pulling Vasey in an effort to force him to release the child. One person used an irritant spray, described in the live report first as tear gas and then corrected to pepper spray, to keep him away from the family and others nearby.
At least five people reportedly helped.
Their actions appear to have prevented the situation from becoming far worse. There was no time for a careful discussion or a distant attempt to observe safely; witnesses believed a child was actively being taken and responded with physical force.
The girl suffered scratches but was not seriously injured. Paramedics examined and treated her at the scene, and she did not require ambulance transport.
Bystanders Acted Before Officers Arrived
Witnesses told KATU that they called 911 repeatedly and waited more than half an hour for law enforcement.
During that period, members of the public were left to restrain or drive away a man accused of assaultive behavior and attempting to abduct a child.
Police eventually arrived and found Vasey wading in the Willamette River.
He was arrested and taken to the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges including attempted kidnapping in the first and second degrees, first-degree custodial interference, third-degree assault, and harassment.
The case demonstrates both the importance and danger of bystander intervention. The people who stepped in may have saved the child, but they also had no clear information about whether the suspect was armed, under the influence, mentally unstable, or capable of escalating further.
Still, when a small child is physically being pulled away from a parent, waiting safely at a distance may not be a realistic option.
Police Cite Staffing Shortages and a SWAT Response
At a later news conference, Portland police defended the delayed response by pointing to major staffing shortages and another emergency that consumed downtown resources.
A bureau spokesperson said Central Precinct officers were dealing with a domestic violence call in northwest downtown that led to a SWAT and crisis negotiation response lasting about seven hours.
Police said a woman had called 911 claiming she had been threatened with a gun before disconnecting.
Officers located the apartment but received no response when they attempted contact, prompting specialized teams to block nearby streets and evacuate some residents.
After more than six hours, officers entered and found two people inside, along with a loaded pistol. A 34-year-old suspect, Quashawn Sanders, was later booked on domestic violence-related charges.
According to the bureau, that operation tied up many of the officers who otherwise might have responded to the waterfront.
The staffing numbers provided by police showed shortages across all three precincts. Central had 11 officers working when it was supposed to have 17, North had 12 instead of 19, and East had 11 instead of 18.
Those figures help explain the delay, but they do not make it less alarming. A city can face more than one urgent event at once, and the public expects enough capacity to respond when a violent situation develops in a crowded park.
About a Dozen 911 Calls Were Reported
Portland police said dispatchers ultimately received roughly a dozen calls connected to the incident.
That number suggests the behavior was highly visible and caused widespread concern well before officers made the arrest.
It also strengthens the questions surrounding how calls were prioritized and when units from another precinct should have been sent.
Singh said KATU asked the bureau how many officers were working that Saturday and what determines when personnel from another precinct can be dispatched.
Those questions became more urgent once witnesses described a 30- to 40-minute wait and police confirmed that the city was operating below planned staffing levels.
Emergency systems must prioritize calls based on immediate risk, but risk changes quickly. A report of public nudity may initially appear less urgent than a gun-related domestic violence case, yet an alleged attempted assault minutes later should signal that the person’s conduct is becoming more dangerous.
By the time the third call reported a child being pulled from her mother, the crisis had already reached its most serious point.
Vasey Pleads Not Guilty
Vasey later appeared in Multnomah County Circuit Court and pleaded not guilty to the charges against him.
He was being held without bail, and his next court appearance was scheduled for July 31.
His mother attended the hearing but declined to comment.
Court documents also showed that Vasey had an earlier encounter with law enforcement on the same day, when he was detained at a Gresham hospital after allegedly causing a disturbance in the parking lot.
KATU reported that a search did not reveal a previous criminal history for him in Multnomah County.
The absence of a local record does not resolve what happened at the waterfront, and the allegations against him remain to be tested in court. He is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Both sides were also expected to decide whether a preventive detention hearing would be held, which could affect whether he remains in custody as the case moves forward.
The Child Was Safe Because People Stepped In
The most important outcome is that the girl remained with her family and escaped with only minor injuries.
That result was not secured by police arriving during the struggle. It was secured by her mother refusing to release her and by strangers who chose to intervene.
The bystanders used whatever means they had available, including physical force and pepper spray, while waiting for a response they believed was taking too long.
Their actions should not erase the pressure facing an understaffed police bureau, but neither should staffing problems be allowed to make such delays seem normal.
A naked man accused of trying to strike someone and then pull a 7-year-old child from her mother represented a rapidly developing threat in one of Portland’s best-known public spaces.
The case now moves through the courts, where the evidence against Vasey will be examined.
For the family, however, the decisive moment came before any arrest or courtroom appearance, when several strangers saw what was happening and refused to let the child be taken.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, John developed a love for the great outdoors early on. With years of experience as a wilderness guide, he’s navigated rugged terrains and unpredictable weather patterns. John is also an avid hunter and fisherman who believes in sustainable living. His focus on practical survival skills, from building shelters to purifying water, reflects his passion for preparedness. When he’s not out in the wild, you can find him sharing his knowledge through writing, hoping to inspire others to embrace self-reliance.
