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A CITIZEN who watched a cop illegally park, then walk into an Asian restaurant to wait for his food, has issued the officer a series of citizen-initiated parking violations.
Eric Bryant says he was sitting in the SanSai Japanese Grill on NW 21st and Hoyt on March 7 when he witnessed Officer Chadd Stensgaard pull up and park his patrol car illegally, next to a "No Parking" sign.
Stensgaard walked into the restaurant wearing his police uniform, but did not make any arrests or citations. Instead, he turned his attention to the basketball game on television, according to Bryant. When Bryant asked Stensgaard about his vehicle, Stensgaard allegedly acknowledged being in a no-parking zone but asked Bryant, "If someone broke into your house, would you rather have the police be able to park in front of your house or have to park three blocks away and walk there?"
Bryant returned to his seat, and says shortly afterward he watched a restaurant employee hand the officer a plastic bag before he left. Unfortunately for Officer Stensgaard, Bryant had recently passed the Oregon bar exam, and decided to pursue the matter further.
"If he had acknowledged and corrected his error, we could have avoided this whole thing," says Bryant. "But instead, he kept watching basketball and told me he wasn't doing anything wrong."
Now, using ORS 153.058, Bryant—as a private citizen—has initiated violation proceedings against Officer Stensgaard. Bryant alleges Stensgaard was in violation of state statutes on illegal parking, illegal stopping, obeying parking restrictions on state highways, and illegal operation of an emergency vehicle or ambulance—the violations carry fines totaling $540.
Officer Stensgaard has received a Multnomah County summons to appear in traffic court on May 23. Meanwhile Bryant denies he is just stirring up trouble.
"Citizens should be concerned that he used his status as an officer of the law as justification for breaking the law," he says.
Stensgaard declined comment through the cops' office of public information.
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Eric Bryant you are a #%$^. You should utilize your sense of superiority and new found law education into defending people that actually need it. I think the officer has a right to at least grab a quick bite to eat. Obviously you are a new lawyer with no established client base and therefore have too much time on your hands.
He has the right to grab a bite to eat, but he does not have the right to violate the law.
In Oregon, the law states that a police officer is exempt from traffic and parking laws only when he or she is responding to an emergency or pursuing a person who is an actual or suspected violator of the law. See ORS 820.320. At other times, police officers must obey traffic and parking laws.
It was the police officer who exhibited a sense of superiority. I assure you that he was not trained to violate a law that specifically regulates where he may or may not park. It would have been very easy for the officer to order food at a different restaurant. There is no good-faith reason why an officer's choice of restaurant gives him or her a free pass to break an anti-corruption law and do it so publicly.
Eric Bryant, you’re a piece of crap lawyer that just like most lawyers… go around stirring up trouble because “Oh, I know the Law”. Give me a break Eric, you’re telling us that you would rather have the cop park blocks away and walk to the restaurant then if there was an emergency have him run down the street back to his car to help someone and possibly delaying his response time. You’re putting people’s lives at risk; you’re just a pathetic ambulance chaser. Also it’s a No Parking Zone for a reason, for emergency equipment and personnel. I’m sure the restaurant doesn’t mind the cop parking in front of their business, so mind your own and get a life Eric. Also, on behave of the entire country I would like to thank you for becoming another sue happy, money hungry lawyer; we really need another one of you around. I hope some cop doesn’t come to your rescue some day because their getting their car out of valet parking.
Eric Bryant, you’re a piece of crap lawyer that just like most lawyers… go around stirring up trouble because “Oh, I know the Law”. Give me a break Eric, you’re telling us that you would rather have the cop park blocks away and walk to the restaurant then if there was an emergency have him run down the street back to his car to help someone and possibly delaying his response time. You’re putting people’s lives at risk; you’re just a pathetic ambulance chaser. Also it’s a No Parking Zone for a reason, for emergency equipment and personnel. I’m sure the restaurant doesn’t mind the cop parking in front of their business, so mind your own and get a life Eric. Also, on behave of the entire country I would like to thank you for becoming another sue happy, money hungry lawyer; we really need another one of you around. I hope some cop doesn’t come to your rescue some day because their getting their car out of valet parking.
How DARE you question a cop?! Don't you remember 9/11? C'mon, Eric, just play along. Otherwise, the terrorists win. You're going to ruin our police state if you keep asking them to play by the same rules we do.
Believe me, I've gotten tickets for stupider stuff than this. No one was outraged about my time. Apparently, I serve no useful purpose in society?
Once I got a ticket for parking on the wrong side of the street. In front of my house. For an hour.
If Portland police are going to give people $150 tickets for speeding up before an entrance ramp or parking the wrong way on their street, they should, at the very least, follow the law that their employed to enforce.
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