Woman killed by stray bullet fired as suspect was cleaning his gun, court records show
Michael English, 33, is charged in the shooting death of 40-year-old Angel Geib
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An Oregon man is in custody after he allegedly shot and killed a woman while he was cleaning his gun, according to the Portland Police Bureau.
Michael English, 33, faces a manslaughter charge in the death of 40-year-old Angel Geib following the shooting inside the apartment in Portland early Saturday.
English told a 911 dispatcher there was an “accident with a firearm” when he was cleaning his gun in the bathroom, according to court records obtained by Oregon Live.
“It went off, um,” he said. “She got hit in the head. She’s dead. I got shot in the hand, um. Yeah. That’s what it is dude.”
Portland police and EMS responded to the apartment just after 2 a.m. to find Geib dead at the scene.
English had been staying at the apartment with his friend and his friend’s son for about a month. The friend told police that he was asleep in his room and when he woke up around 1:30 a.m. on the morning of the shooting, he found the woman dead on the bathroom floor, according to the affidavit. He said he did not know who the woman was.
Police reviewed surveillance footage and discovered that English had walked into the apartment with Geib shortly after midnight and then left by himself at 1:20 a.m.
English later told police that the shooting happened while he was cleaning his gun. He explained that he had to pull on the trigger to disassemble it, and when he did, the gun went off, striking him in the hand and then hitting Geib in the head, according to court documents.
English was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. While he was being treated, he briefly escaped police custody, but was recaptured a short time later.
Police found a Smith and Wesson 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, a handgun magazine with bullets and one single bullet on the kitchen counter inside the apartment.
English, who was convicted of a felony robbery charge in 2010, is also accused of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
He is in custody at the Multnomah County Detention Center.