Eugene police raid Whiteaker tattoo shop, arrest two in robbery probe

Police shut down a stretch of West 6th Avenue in the Whiteaker neighborhood and arrested two men after serving a search warrant at Black Lotus Tattoo, 1011 W. 6th Ave. The June 25 operation grew out of a March 11 robbery at the Express Inn across the street, where a 50-year-old guest was robbed at gunpoint by people wearing masks. The case, numbered 26-03619, remained tied to a robbery and drug investigation.

Eugene Police Street Crimes Unit served the warrant with help from SWAT, the Crisis Negotiation Team, drones and the Property Crimes Unit. Officers encountered 10 people living on the property in multiple structures, and the scene kept the block closed for hours as police negotiated with people inside. A woman was taken away by ambulance after a medical issue during the operation, and no injuries were reported.

Police identified the arrests as 58-year-old Brian Charles Julien and 39-year-old Derick Justin Pier. Julien was booked on first-degree robbery and was found with a firearm and fentanyl. Pier was booked on second-degree robbery. Another robbery suspect was arrested during the warrant service.

The connection to Black Lotus Tattoo came from what happened after the March 11 robbery. The masked suspects fled to the tattoo shop after the Express Inn robbery, and drones were used in the aftermath while officers were arriving.

The alleyway on the property is known for heavy foot traffic and hand-to-hand drug dealing, and the site had generated complaints from the neighboring community. City of Eugene Code Compliance had already deemed the building a dangerous building and boarded it up.