Portland police believe a shopper found dead Monday in a Fred Meyer parking lot in Northeast Portland was shot and killed while trying to stop a purse snatching. The initial investigation suggests Jonathan Trent, 47, witnessed the robbery and intervened, police said Thursday. A suspect or suspects shot him before fleeing, they said.

Portland police have identified the man whose “suspicious death” at the Gateway Fred Meyer on Monday is now considered a homicide, according to investigators.

Portland Police investigators have launched a homicide investigation following a suspicious death case at a Northeast Portland Fred Meyer store.

The Portland City Council approved a measure Wednesday to increase their own office budgets and that of Mayor Keith Wilson by millions of dollars amid a growing financial shortfall for the city — though only after making a significant change to the proposal’s funding source.

A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the Government Transition Advisory Committee's Council staffing recommendations. The Mercury regrets the error. "Kneecapped." "Defunded." "Not set up for success.

Portland City Council held a meeting Wednesday night to discuss the potential for increasing the city budget by up to $4.6 million. Read online: <a href="