Man arrested for night spent in Hawthorne Bridge tower

Published 1:32 pm Friday, February 21, 2025

A 44-year-old man was arrested for spending the night atop the Hawthorne Bridge on Thursday, Feb. 20, closing through traffic until Friday morning.

A 44-year-old man was arrested for spending the night atop the Hawthorne Bridge on Thursday, Feb. 20, closing through traffic until Friday morning. 

Portland Police Bureau said Rashawn L. Anderson reportedly climbed up the tower around 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, stalling all traffic below. 

The bridge was closed to all traffic so crisis officers could respond to the all-night-long incident. 

Anderson reportedly came down around 9 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 21, and was arrested. The bridge was reopened by about 9:30 a.m.

What happened

Officers spotted the man up on a bridge catwalk Thursday evening, but were concerned that he was facing a mental health crisis, according to a press release. 

Portland Fire & Rescue responded, at one pointing leaving a phone for the man to better communicate, and fit officers with safety harnesses in an attempt to get closer to Anderson so they could talk. 

Anderson was reportedly given multiple opportunities — over the course of many hours — to come down without facing criminal charges, and was offered medical help. 

The man was instead given time and space as a de-escalation tactic, according to police. Anderson reportedly stayed in the tower all night, approximately 16 hours, despite efforts to get him to come down. 

Anderson is being held in the Multnomah County Detention Center on charges of first-degree criminal trespass, interfering with public transportation and second-degree disorderly conduct.