Man dead after driving through window of Portland athletic club, attempting to 'detonate a number of explosive devices'

A man believed to be a former employee drove his car through the window of the non-profit Multnomah Athletic Club before 3 am on Saturday, then drove around the floor attempting to set off "a number of explosive devices," say police. The club was closed on Saturday and the man was dead once firefighters made it to the scene.

Portland Police Commander James Crooker said the man drove through a front window, then turned right toward a restaurant and the front desk. "There was an intent to detonate a number of explosive devices that didn't go off," he said. "The interior is not as damaged as it could have been." Surveillance video shows the car driving through the window and onto the floor.

Supervisor of the Portland police explosive disposal unit Jim DeFrain told Oregon Public Broadcasting it was the "most complex he's encountered in 13 years with the city." Police worked for 14 hours to remove the explosive devices and disarm them. The devices included propane tanks and pipe bombs. In front of the building there were 16 propane tanks tagged as evidence, some appearing to have been charred.

"Early Saturday morning, a vehicle crashed into the Multnomah Athletic Club," said the club in a statement. "The MAC will remain closed until further notice to allow law enforcement to complete its work and for our team to assess the damage. The response is being led in coordination among local and federal authorities, including the Portland Police Bureau and Portland Fire & Rescue, and our team is cooperating fully. We ask our members and neighbors to avoid the area at this time."

"This is a dirty, dangerous, complex job," DeFrain said. It is believed that the man who drove his car into the building and was found dead inside was a former disgruntled employee. 

Portland independent journalist CK Bouferrache said that she believed the driver was "Bruce Valentine Whitman, a former MAC bartender and Portland resident. A source with direct knowledge of the investigation confirmed his identity. PPB and the FBI have not yet established motive."