I know you guys are trying hard to find a victim of brazen police violence, but really, your screening process for these stories should be a little more stringent. The guy punched out a window in a restaurant for Christ's sake. You're pretty quick to criticize the police, assuming that any action that they took was unwarranted regardless of the circumstances, yet completely dismissive of any possibility that the perpetrator brought this upon himself through his own actions. Once again, great reporting.

Well, i amitted to smashing the [2nd] window out of sheer anger. That was MY mistake & i'll come clean about that from the beginning. Perhapes someone would like to find the two thugs who smashed the 1st window - by throwing ME through it - & making THEM anawer for that! oh yeah, i'd like to press ASSAULT charges too, if no body would mind.

Being arrested for the 2nd window is one thing, but the cops' assertion that i was "resisting" is COMPLETE BULLSHIT! I never resisted, & i was electrocuted for NO damn reason.

I suppose it's easy for ME to be set up for such criticism though, since i never left the scene, staying on the phone with 911 until the police showed up. Instead of taking responsiblity for what i did, i shouldn't just taken off myself & remained anonymous to this day. You know, kinda like the two cowards who took off after jumping me. To this day, noone knows who THEY are, so THEY don't have to own up for what THEY did.

*Venzetti*, did i mention that i was attacked by two random thugs & they tossed me through a window, & that they ran off & that the cops never bothered looking for them? B/c i [somehow] feel that you've completely dimissed those little details in your zeal to brand ME the "perpetrator".

I watched the entire thing happen...did you forget about the 2 trashcans that were overturned by Mr. Brooks. Did you also forget about the glass bottles Mr. Brooks threw down the street that almost hit my friends and I. Did you forget the fact that Mr. Brooks was EXTREMELY combative towards the police when they arrived. Did you forget that it took 3 officers to take down this person who said he, "didn't resist."

Mr. Brooks was screaming obscenities in the street for 10 mins and causing general havoc on Belmont that after the initial altercation. I saw one guy walking away with a bloody face, so it wasn't nearly as one sided as Mr. Brooks would like everyone to think.

I like how Mr. Brooks said he was attacked by "random thugs." From my perspective the only other person I saw involved in the altercation was a skinny frat boy type w/ his girlfriend.

Mr. Brooks was rightfully arrested, and rightfully "tased." He was about to cause more trouble and probably attack someone else. He's lucky one of the MANY glass bottle he threw down the street didn't hit anyone. He probably owes someone a windshield.

I don't feel sorry for him in the least.

>>> Andrew C.

To begin with, i kicked over ONE trashcan - so your're LYING about that. The trashcan was never an issue with anyone, so i chose to stick with the significant details; i didn't forget anything.

I picked up a bottle to try & defend myself during my assualt. I never "threw" any bottles in anyones' direction, so you're LYING about that. I was never combative with the cops (i called them, remember), so you're LYING about that. You're also LYING when you said you saw one guy walking away with a bloody face. The only person who was bloody'd up that night was ME. If you actually saw such a thing, why didn't you tell the police when they were there(i suppose i'll never get an answer to that)? There's certainly no mention of [another person] who was bleeding mentioned in the police report.

And you're LYING when you claimed that the only other people involved in the altercation were a [skinny frat boy type w/ his gf. The two guys that jumped me were about my size (b/t 5'10" - 6'2", 180 - 200+ lbs). Plus, there were never any females involved.

My arrest for the 2nd broken window is not in contention here. It's that i was tazered AFTER i was completed restrained, having never fought with the cops, at all!

One other thing,
DDA Jeff Howes may have given a copy of that letter (mentioning the new charges) to Matt Davis, but he NEVER sunt any such letter to me. Mr Howes is either flat-out lying, or doesn't know what he's talking about when he says he sunt me a letter.

Think about this: why would i disregard a letter w/ a courtdate, telling me i've been recharged, skip court on purpose, then go to the courthouse seeking info. on my case KNOWING there was a warrent out for me?
Besides, Mr. Howes never did explain why the *resisting arrest* charge was inicially dropped.

I believe Mr Brooks story
He was tasered when he was the victim of an assault.
He stayed there to meet the police, staying on on the phone with 911, and he was never even given a chance to even tell what happened.

As per these eye witness allegations stated by "Andrew" I would take them serious if in fact he made a statement when it happened or informed the cops at the time, otherwise its empty words. (or "lies" as Mr Brooks asserts)

Just because you called police too doesn't mean you weren't combative. I've seem it a hundred times. A person that calls thinks they can't be arrested and they fight when they go in cuffs because the police are "wrong". You were obviously the problem that night. But you are going to shift the blame no matter what. Being the victim is working for you. Is it someone else's fault you're a crackhead too?

This is some rediculous shit. In the letter written by the Police they say, "In an ideal world all three men would have been arrested.". What is Clifton being arrested for? If I just have had two assholes harass me and assault me out of the blue, while in a well lit and busy street, while on the bus, and have to dial 911 myself just in case no one else did, I'd fucking be surprised if I DIDN'T break a window somewhere. This is a case of blatent racism. I understand that officers tase folks who appear to be crazy, but I've chatted with Mr. Brooks and seen him around Belmont all the time. This guy is one of the calmest, easy going, zen-like folks around this street. If he looked distressed I hope this is not mistaken by the police for insanity. Seriously, he's arrested, tased, and treated like a criminal. Do we have any real law enforcement here?

I find it very intersting (& telling of Portland) that some people would focus on me smashing the 2nd window, which i've NEVER denied & owned up to from the beginning, but conveniently ignore the ASSAULT part. How did this all start to begin with, eh? I believe it started with me boarding the #15, trying to get to work. If [some] people are soo concerned about a storefront window, then why ignore the 1st window that was broken [by the two anonymous men]?

You see, if i had choosen to run off, i'd be anonymous too. Then i suppose noone would give much a shit about anything, since noone would be able to put any faces on anyone.
Guess it REALLY pays to be a punk & a coward, huh.

Btw, contrary to what [cop spin-doctor] Brian Schmautz says, in an *ideal* world PEOPLE WOULD MIND THERE OWN DAMNED BUSINESS & EVERYONE WOULD BE LEFT ALONE.

Oh, & another thing...

...for the 2nd time now someone here has made a derogatory reference to me being "a crackhead". I don't know EXACTLY what that's suppose to mean, though i have my suspicions.

I'll just leave it at that.

Racism is alive and well in Portland.

Until reading the comments on this article, I did not realize that the Mercury was a haven for Racist Enablers.

I am not surprised

just disappointed

Hey cop,
My mom was beat up by four male policemen while handcuffed just for being a Spokane Indian. I was 14 years old when I saw my mom come home beat to a bloody, bruised, swollen pulp. Her face was nearly unrecognizable for a month. But who cares, just a drunk indian, right? It's just another black crack head, right? It's just another mexican meth dealer, right?

You know what the judge said to my mom when she went to court and spoke up about what happened to her at the jail? He said, "You are lucky you did not get resisting arrest."

Ignorance and authority make a dangerous human. Police aren't saints. They are people that are just as capable of being a piece of shit as the next person. Get off your high horse, open your heart, open your mind, and get educated so the rest of us do not have to watch our backs, live in fear, or break windows out of frustration.

There are many loathsome, cowardous low-lifes & closeted racists here in Portland; my 3 years in this city has taught me that. Any message board with a lax policy is a haven for such cowards. Which is why some of them would come here & make racially motivated statements & naked, bold-face lies. Many of them are COPS. Many of them are just pety no-bodies. It's very easy for someone to act high n' mighty when it's not happening to THEM right at that moment.

The Merc. will probably print a letter from one of them in the next issue. [Sometimes], people can be soo predictable.

Such cowards have made racist attacks in Gresham, at George Fox U. & various Jesuit schools just over the past couple of weeks. A British man was even shot afew days ago for wearing... an Obama shirt. In England.
That criminal got clean away too. Frankly, i don't believe the police (or bobbies?) are trying too hard to find that thug, either.

I'm sorry that our racist cops assaulted you. It seems like a heinous situation. At least you weren't a naked tweeker or developly disabled then they would have shot you or beaten you to death. And I have been beaten randomly and sometimes after that you lose your temper(like steel ability to resist stress). Incidents like this reconfirms my hate for the police arm of the law and their inability to actually judge the nature of situations. Again I repeat at least you only got tased. The pigs around here like to shoot people.

Yeah well, i ONLY got tazered because i wasn't even the aggressor. But i was jumped by two thugs/cowards without cause, tasered by the police - who are cowards - & i lost my job all in the same night.

Say, shouldn't the owner of the 1st window that was broken be able to press charges against the unidentified men as well?

>>> *Portlander*

"Brooks, you got what you deserved. Not for braking the window, but for willfully interacting with a police officer."

Gosh, now THAT'S a really intelligent assement. Why, it almost sounds 'ironic'.

Actually, the only thing i WILLFULLY did that night was [try] & get to work - same as i did every Sat. for the prior three months. Everything else that happened that night was prettymuch a forced reaction. Here's the thing: had i NOT broken the 2nd window the outcome would've been the EXACT same b/c the cops [inicially] accused me of breaking BOTH windows. B/c the cops are idiots & [probably] racist. Plus, one of the cops claimed to have recieved a 911 call of TWO Black men fighting. But one of those men [on the scene] was actually the store owner of the 1st broken window - he was across the street from all this!

Maybe i should've just said "to Hell with it" & grabbed someone by the neck instead. Noone else seems to give a damn. How wrong-headed of me to have assumed that in this "laid-back" city, individuals might actually be held responsible for what they do & the police might actually do their job.
Shame on me.

Wrong. You also willfully broke a window, you kicked over a trash can, you threw at least one bottle, you yelled and screamed and swore at the top of your lungs after the fact creating a disturbance. You drew attention to yourself by throwing a tantrum like a 3 year old would after not getting his way. You caused alarm in people in the area. You were confrontational with the police and they responded according to your behavior. So who's really the idiot. You. And who's the racist. You. I'm not surprised you pulled the race card. It relieves you of any responsibility. Blame it all on the color of your skin. Your temper tantrum had nothing to do with the police response. Funny how race wasn't brought into this until you brought it up. I'm sure you only did so because the cops are white. RACIST.

Oh! I forgot! You also admitted to the police that you resisted. But you're not responsible for that either, I bet.

>>> Cop

Judging by the scope of the blatant, out-right, naked LIES you're telling ( e.i. i admitted to resisting, i'm a racist), i'm starting to suspect that you're really a McCain henchman & this is [somehow] part of their desperate strategy - i wouldn't be surprised.

In any case, it's plainly obvious at this point that you didn't come here to mount any kind of a geniune counter-opinion, but to simply troll.

Infact, it's fairly clear to me that you weren't at all present at the scene that night, even though you lied & claimed you were. It seems like all you know about this is what you've read in the Merc.

Mr. Brooks,

At least you don't dispute the fact you're an idiot. Please point out where I said I was there. I wasn't and I never said I was. As for you admitting you resisted...while in the holding cell at Southeast Precinct an officer asked you why you pulled away from (resisted) the officers on the scene. You said something like, "Well, wouldn't you if you were being arrested for no reason?" And I'll remind you, your behavior obviously led to your arrest.

As for you being racist...you are. Racism is discrimination based on race. By you calling the officers racist based on the fact they are white...that makes you a racist.

You have quite an ego thinking someone running for president would attempt to call you out on the garbage you spew. You're not even remotely important, let alone enough for someone working a presidential campaign to even pay attention to. Get over yourself.

"By you calling the officers racist based on the fact they are white...that makes you a racist."
Thoughtcrime anybody? Orwell would be rolling in his grave. This is one of many examples of the aggressive, xenophobic tactics of the Portland Police. My solidarity lies with Brooks.

Phit,

So it's okay for Mr. Brooks, who happens to be black, to call the white officers who arrested him racisists when he has nothing to back that claim other than the fact they arrested a black person? A black person who damaged someone else's property intentionally and was creating a disturbance. Mr. Brooks committed a crime and he was arrested. That doesn't make the officers racist. Mr. Brooks placing that label on someone based on the color of their skin makes him racist.

It doesn't surprise me you don't see that. There is quite a double standard when it comes to race. There is no comparison between this and a piece of fiction written 60 years ago by a communist. Nice try.

No comparison, just a fleeting anecdote. A better comparison would be the running man in fahrenheit 451. I lol'd at how you used communist as an punch line to your insult and figure that since a book is old it holds no significance. All dystopian literature aside, i was merely commenting on mr. brooks suggestion (or assertion) that this situation needs to be looked at closer. he is very right in bringing up the recent race related headlines (george fox, jesuit, etc) as this is a sensitive time. i assume you aren't a real cop (please, prove me wrong with a name and badge number) but i would hope someone that sells their life to protect my family would have something better to do that troll around on the website of a alternative newspaper.

Bring up race in this case is nothing like the recent news stories. Mr. Brooks committed at least one crime (criminal mischief) and very likely disorderly conduct. He was being arrested fir those crimes, not because he's black. In the other cases people allegedly did what they did with race as the motivating factor. Not true here.

"prove me wrong with a name and a badge number"

Give me you full name, date of birth and physical descriptors so I can verify who you are.

>>> Cop

I doubt that you're an actual cop myself & if you were, you'd be too much of a coward to prove it (with a simple badge no; required of police by law to present it upon request).

"Give me you full name, date of birth and physical descriptors so I can verify who you are." What a childish, pety retort. That sounds like a fundamentalist christian retorting: "You can't prove He doesn't exit".
But i don't believe i've directly accused [the officers involved] of being racist. Only that i found such aggressive motivation [on their part] to be suspect. But from the very beginning, both here & in various other on-line forums & physical outlets, i've tried to frame this in ways NOT that i find merely suspect, but in ways i KNOW to be FACT: that victims/ordinary citizens have essentially have NO rights in this city. The CRIMINALS are prettymuch in collusion with the police & they're ALL cowards!

>>> Cop,
you make thoughtless comments about other people being racist, after you yourself made a racially-tinged accusation about me being a "crackhead". And you're attemping to frame this as if this entire situation began with ME BREAKING THE 2ND WINDOW is equally thoughtless.
And let's say [for argument's sake] that YOU were one of those two thugs who DID start this. You wouldn't DARE own up to such a thing for fear of incriminating yourself.

You may or maynot be a cop, but you're most definately a coward.

There is no law or policy that says I need to give my name and badge number when I'm participating in an online forum on my own time. You're still not getting the point. You weren't the wrong guy. You were the right guy. You committed a crime. We know that. Did the other guys commit a crime? We don't know. The bus driver said it appeared that you were the aggressor. I'm sure somewhere in your rants on indymedia you played the race card as well, calling the officers racist. You are a coward for continously hiding behind the color of your skin. As for if I'm really an officer, I'm wouldn't know a lot of these things if I wasn't. How about next time you and your little anarchist black bloc friends decide to protest I'll come say "Hi".

Ah. Here it is. I'll leave it with this. Your rant on indymedia from 06/09/08 entitled "FUCK YOU, PORTLAND!!!" you say, "This city is as RACIST as any other...". Later when talking about the police you say, "RACIST GODDAMN FUCKING COPS, WHO'RE ALL WHITE...". You also say "white motherfucker" a lot. You're quite the bigot.

Event checklist:
1 witness saying 2 men were aggressors.
1 witness saying Mr. Brooks was the aggressor. The bus driver.

1 window broken during an altercation
1 window broken blatantly after the altercation had ended

1 trashcan knocked over after altercation had ended
1[+] bottle thrown blindly down the street at innocent bystanders after altercation had ended

much kicking of said trash around the street
much yelling and screaming...at least 3-5 minutes solid of what could easily be called disturbing the peace or mischief.

Why in the world, Mr. Brooks, wouldn't you do what responsible citizens of our city do when attacked or faced with confrontation...Get the hell out of there, call the police [we're well aware that you did that], and WAIT patiently. Instead you acted in a way that drew attention to yourself, were aggressive to bystanders, and seemed from my vantage point on the verge of lashing out.

Next time....tranquilo. Good luck, and have a nice [sad & angry] life.

People YOU NEED to stop giving our Governmental bodies excuses to keep us afraid of them!!! Our Police should be scared of the poeple, and not the poeple scared of the Police. We the poeple are the law not the Police. I am a disabled Law student and at that same time Mr. Brooks was tased I also called 911 for help after being attact and falsely accused of a crime. The same Office Goodrich met us at the S.E. Burnside Station and then continude to violate not only civil laws but also criminal laws. At this point I can't go into details until the case is closed, but Mr. Brooks if you would like to know were to head for help give me a call @ 503-927-2182. My law suite can be turned into a class action law suite very easily.

>>> Cop/Coward

I think you're willfully missing one major point here: I WASN'T THE ONLY GUY!
As far as ME being a coward - if that were so, i would've fled the scene that night just like the two thugs who attacked me that night did. Again, you're flat-out wrong on ALL your points. In addition to more thoughtless accusations that have nothing to do with anything.

"your little anarchist black bloc friends"?!
Um, ok. I'm not an anarchist & neither are my friends. This wasn't a protest, i was just trying to get to work & i was by my self. Not only are you a hibitual liar, but you're not even keeping track of the issue.

>>> Mickyjon

I'll definately give you a call!

I've also made a video account of my experience from that night.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cbhaR5EmDRA


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KmXeD6DjlY

I was tasered, arrested, had the charges dropped only to have them re-issued.

They were afraid you would sue them. Officer Smultz's job is to defend officers who have fucked up; the DA's job is to keep people who have been fucked over by the PPD busy defending themselves.

Schmultz has never and will never apologize for anything.

I think the Portland Police need to address issues regarding training officers in ethics and protocol in arrest.

I myself was once arrested in front of Portland Police headquarters during a sincere attempt to ask questions to law officers regarding information I had retained from a stint at PGE that pertained to the finances of the company and their relevance to allegations of impropriety that were circulating via the ICNU lawyers in the WWeek, Oregonian (and briefly) the NY Times.

I was in a very bad situation, starting to show major signs of psychological unwellness relating to the extreme stress that the situation had caused me, and in short desperately needed the counsel of a reasonable and responsible authority figure.

Instead, my sincere request with the police was met with belligerence and hostility and they told me I had to leave the building. As I was leaving the building, the two officers who I had talked to ran up to me from behind, kicked me to the ground (in the process fracturing one of my ribs) and demanded that I show them the contents of my briefcase which owing to the confidential nature of its contents (such documents are subject to protective order, check the regulation) I was not legally permitted to do.

Once it was determined that my briefcase in fact contained paperwork the police then proceeded to file an incorrect description of the event in question in their police report and took me to spend a night in hooper detox.

I *desperately* needed counsel and advise from a responsible figure of authority. Instead, I encountered clearly unprofessional behavior. The ultimate result of this failure of authority was a terrible and completely unnecessary tragedy, which would play out over the next couple of weeks.

Please don't get me wrong. The vast majority of Portland Police are responsible and ethical individuals who provide a noble and necessary civic service. Even those that occasionally fall short are not in any way worthy of public scorn, ridicule or systematic attitudes of disrespect. The police are human, they make mistakes; we are all human. Nonetheless there *ARE* issues with police accountability in Portland. It would do Portland, its population and the police itself a great service if a sincere effort was made with regard to accountability in addressing the issues that do exist. Sweeping things under the rug is not a good strategy. Everyone benefits from government that is transparent, competently managed and accountable. Nothing is gained from failure to acknowledge and cope with real problems that have occurred.

In most dealings I have had with the Portland Police they conducted themselves honorably, respectfully and ethically. I harbor no animosity towards the police or the necessary and invaluable civic service they provide to the community. Nonetheless, to ignore the simple fact that there have been problems is irresponsible.

I understand that police have stressful jobs, and that by virtue of their position they often come into situations that can result in legitimate frustration regarding the disrespect that is shown to them by some members of the general public. Such circumstances can result occasionally in tempers flaring and rash action. That much is human nature, and nearly every one of us makes mistakes from time to time. People will never be perfect, and every person regardless of station in life will occasionally make mistakes. Its the human condition. Although we are imperfect creatures, and there is no way to change that, people, most particularly those who have public authority should take accountability and try to acknowledge legitimate issues rather than attempt to ignore their existence.

In conclusion, and in a tone of sincere respect for our law enforcement officers and the difficult job they have, I do think that the Portland Police need to make improvements in this area. Portland is called the City that Works and it often does in fact work amazingly well. Sometimes however it does not. When it fails or falls short, I think that all interested parties benefit from an ethic of accountability and transparency.

Respectfully,

Kyle Sullivan

If you're breaking windows and throwing bottles, and it takes three police to subdue you, be a man and fess up. Don't be a coward and blame other people for your mistakes. Don't blame Authority or Your Dad for Not Being There or any of that other 'poor oppressed me' garbage.

Just take your lumps and learn not to threaten police officers. Simple.
Don't punch out innocent businesses windows!
Don't act like a enraged gorilla knocking over trash cans!
Don't threaten people and you won't get beat up to begin with.
Don't threaten the police and you won't get tazed.
(You think they WANT this kind of attention right now? No way.)

It doesn't take a genius to figure it out.
Not that anyone would confuse that ugly mug in the picture above with a genius.
Who's bright idea was it to make an already mirror breaking mug even uglier with some ornamentation?
Damn....that's repulsive.