NewsLocal News

Actions

Man charged with intoxication manslaughter of CCPD officer

PORTILLO, BRANDON 07.10.93.PNG
Posted at 4:22 PM, Feb 01, 2020
and last updated 2020-02-02 03:19:42-05

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The Corpus Christi Police Department has identified the officer killed, and the officer injured, in Friday night's traffic-stop accident.

Public Information Lt. Michael Pena said Officer Alan McCollum was the colleague killed. The 46-year-old McCollum was a seven-year veteran of the CCPD. He was also a 21-year veteran of the United States Army, receiving a Bronze Star in his collection of military commendations.

Officer Michael Love, a member of the department since 2017, was injured in the accident. Pena said Love remains hospitalized with severe injuries, but is in stable condition.

The third officer involved in the accident has not been identified, but was not injured in the incident.

During a Saturday afternoon news conference, Police Chief Michael Markle said the accident happened after a vehicle was stopped for racing in the westbound lane of State Highway 358 on the Carroll Lane overpass between Weber Road and Kostoryz at approximately 9:43 p.m. An officer pulled over to start the traffic stop, with two more officers pulling over to join in.

A fifth vehicle, driven by 26-year-old Brandon Portillo, hit two officers. Portillo was believed to be intoxicated and was detained and taken to the hospital where a warrant was carried out for a blood sample.

PORTILLO, BRANDON 07.10.93.PNG
Court records show Brandon Portillo had previously been arrested for driving while intoxicated, among other charges.

Portillo then was transported to the City Detention Center, where he was arrested, booked and charged with intoxication manslaughter for McCollum's death, a first-degree felony. He also was charged with intoxication assault for the injuries Love received, a third-degree felony; and driving with a suspended license, a Class A misdemeanor.

Pena did not have bond information available for Portillo.

Markle and Pena were flanked at the podium by numerous colleagues and officials, including city manager Peter Zanoni and city council members Paulette Guajardo, Ben Molina and Roland Barrera. Also present were assistant police chiefs Mark Schauer and Todd Greene and deputy chiefs William "Billy" Breedlove, James Lerma and Anthony Sanders. Lerma had received a promotion on Friday.

"Yesterday we were celebrating the promotion of nine police-officer professionals to higher position," Zanoni said. "And later on that evening we saw the other side of this profession. It's a tough profession."

Markle thanked the community as he spoke and asked for continued respect for the families, and his officers, who are grieving.

"Let them have their peace," he said.

He said an incident like McCollum's death is one of the most trying times that a police department and a community can endure.

"Let us work through this process," Markle said. "Respect the process. We're going to go through this methodically; we're going to do things right and we're going to come to a logical conclusion as it pertains to this case."

This is a developing story. Check KRIS 6 News here for updates.