A 31-year-old Portland man was arrested Thursday on murder allegations in the death of Patrick Pruitt, who died after a fight in downtown Portland earlier this year.
Antonio Howard appeared in court Friday morning and pleaded not guilty to one count of first-degree murder, two counts of second-degree murder and one count of robbery, according to court documents. He was charged via secret indictment Aug. 10.
Pruitt, 50, was involved in a physical altercation with another man on the corner of Southwest Broadway and Ankeny Street around 8 p.m. on July 15, police said. Investigators arrived to find Pruitt unconscious on the street near Mary’s Club, several closed storefronts and a parking lot with food trucks.
Priutt was taken to a hospital, but died about two weeks later.
Police have not said what led to the fight or what kind of injuries Pruitt sustained.
Investigators identified Howard as the suspect and obtained an arrest warrant before taking him into custody in Northeast Portland.
Howard has an extensive criminal record in Oregon including convictions for assault, menacing and harassment as well as pending charges for attempting to elude police and identity theft.
-- Kale Williams; kwilliams@oregonian.com; 503-294-4048; @sfkale