Portland police accused of taking 45 MINUTES to come after naked man tried to kidnap tourist, 7, even though incident happened a few blocks from their HQ

Published: 21:38, 14 July 2026 | Updated: 21:38, 14 July 2026 The naked man accused of trying to wrench a screaming seven-year-old girl from her mother's arms in a horrifying attempted kidnapping at a busy Portland park, has pleaded not guilty.  Daniel Vasey, 31, appeared in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Monday, where he denied charges of first-degree attempted kidnapping, second-degree attempted kidnapping, first-degree custodial interference, third-degree assault and harassment in connection with the terrifying attack at Tom McCall Waterfront Park on Saturday.  The case has drawn widespread attention not only because of the alleged attempt to abduct the young girl, but also over claims that police took an alarming amount of time to respond.  Emilio Zamora, manager of Wheel Fun Rentals near the downtown waterfront, told KOIN he never heard any sirens and estimated it took officers between 30 and 45 minutes to arrive at the scene. The chilling ordeal unfolded shortly before 7pm on Saturday as the girl, who was visiting Portland with her family from out of state, walked through the crowded waterfront park.  Police allege Vasey, who was completely naked, suddenly lunged at the child, grabbed her by one arm and tried to drag her away.  Instead, she clung to her daughter's other arm and fought back with everything she had as Vasey allegedly pulled in the opposite direction, lifting the terrified seven-year-old off the ground during the desperate tug-of-war.  Daniel Vasey,31, denied all charges in court Monday, after participating in a alleged Saturday kidnapping of a 7-year-old girl in Tom McCall Waterfront park Vasey was reported to have been naked at the time of the assault and had been reported for delinquent behavior by witnesses who made multiple calls before the attack on the child had even occurred The attack comes as police face intense criticism over their understaffing and long response rate The child's father sprinted to help before horrified bystanders intervened, punching, slapping and pulling Vasey away until he finally released the girl. Another bystander blasted the suspect with pepper spray to prevent him from attacking anyone else. The girl narrowly escaped with just scratches and bruises and was treated at the scene. When officers finally arrived, Vasey had waded into the Willamette River, where police took him into custody without further incident. But the terrifying attack has sparked outrage after officials confirmed multiple 911 calls warning about a naked, erratic man had been made before the child was targeted. Witnesses reported seeing the naked suspect running through the park before allegedly trying to assault others. One caller reported that Vasey had attempted to punch him in the head, yet bizarrely, no officers arrived before he turned his attention to the seven-year-old. The attack unfolded just blocks from Portland Police’s Central Precinct. Deputy Chief Brian Hughes acknowledged the disturbing reality facing the city’s police force. 'We don’t have the appropriate amount of police officers to handle the amount of demand for police services,' Hughes told KOIN. He said only 11 officers were on duty at Central Precinct at the time - six fewer than the bureau’s minimum staffing target - while officers were tied up responding to other life-threatening emergencies, including a weapons call in which they ended up needing backup for. Hughes said detectives investigating homicides, robberies and assaults cannot simply abandon those cases to answer 911 calls, despite public frustration over the response. Vasey denied all charges during Monday’s court appearance and remains behind bars as prosecutors continue their case. Authorities have not yet revealed a motive for the alleged attempted kidnapping. The case has also raised fresh scrutiny on police competence, after reports surfaced that Vasey had been arrested in neighboring Gresham just hours before the alleged attack before later ending up in downtown Portland. The Daily Mail has reached out to the Portland Police Precinct for comment.