Self-proclaimed 'sheriff' of Portland homeless encampment suffers brutal death 'while trying to stop argument between two vagrants'

A self-proclaimed sheriff of a homeless encampment in Portland was brutally murdered while allegedly trying to stop an argument between two campers. 

Kenny Housman, 73, was stabbed to death on Clinton Street just after midnight on Monday.

A relative claimed he was attempting to intervene in a fight between two homeless people before one of them allegedly knifed him in the throat.

Police arrested a suspect at the scene but he was released from custody and has not yet been charged with a crime.

Housman previously said he was trying to stabilize the homeless encampment in the area by screening people before they set up a camp.

Kenny Housman, a self-proclaimed sheriff of a homeless encampment in Portland, was brutally murdered while allegedly trying to stop an argument between two campers

The 73-year-old was stabbed to death on Clinton Street just after midnight on Monday

A relative of Housman said he was intervening in an argument between two homeless people before he was murdered. 

He added that two other men came to hold down the suspect until police arrived.

Michael Zamora, who lives in an RV in the area, told KATU News: 'They yelled Mike! This guy is beating up Kenny in the street, and I yelled what?

'I put my shoes on. By the time I got there, Kenny was stabbed and bleeding profusely.

He is still trying to process what happened and added: 'He did things to try and help them out and he didn’t have to die.'

Housman lived on Clinton and decided to help make the neighborhood safer as more homeless people set up tents and vehicles to camp there.

He decided to appoint himself as sheriff and would screen people before providing them with support once approved. 

A relative claimed he was attempting to intervene in a fight between two homeless people before one of them allegedly knifed him in the throat

Police arrested a suspect at the scene but he was released from custody and has not yet been charged with a crime 

Housman previously said he was trying to stabilize the homeless encampment in the area by screening people before they set up a camp

 'When they pull up with a piece of junk, I don't want you here,' he said. 'If you pull up with a decent trailer that you obviously own- maybe even have put plates on it - I want you here.'

Housman owned the block of property having purchased it in 2019 and he did not allow loud generators or late-night parties. 

'Thanks to my efforts catalytic converters, few of them are stolen, gas, few of it is stolen, because you don't want those kinda people that steal catalytic converters and gas, you don't want them on your street,' he said.

'If there are those kinda people, then you have to take steps to get them out.'

But some residents in the area were concerned about his approach and believed he made things too comfortable. 

DailyMail.com has contacted Portland police for comment.