In Other News
by Mercury staff
Dane Reister, the Portland cop who mistakenly loaded his beanbag shotgun with live ammo and then shot a mentally ill man this summer, has been indicted on two felony assault charges by Multnomah County's criminal grand jury, the district attorney's office announced Friday, November 18. It's the first time in decades a Portland officer has faced criminal charges for use of force. The DA's office is filing a separate charge against Reister—negligent wounding. The man Reister shot, William Kyle Monroe, was left permanently injured, with Mayor Sam Adams and Police Chief Mike Reese both personally apologizing to Monroe and his family ["Nothing to Say but Sorry," News, July 7]. DENIS C. THERIAULT
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Police accountability advocates are panning a report proposing minor reforms to the city's Independent Police Review and police internal affairs processes, blasting Mayor Adams and Chief Reese for agreeing to adopt only a few out of dozens of changes demanded by community members over several years. The report rebuffs ideas like letting Portland's Citizen Review Committee consider new evidence when handling appeals of police misconduct charges. It also keeps civilian investigators from compelling testimony from officers, and rejects any plans to tighten when and how officers can use force. It comes back to city council Wednesday, November 30. DCT
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Portland immigration activist and out-and-proud undocumented resident Jaime Guzman, 25, was arrested last week in Alabama during a protest against that state's strict immigration law. Guzman was interviewed in the Mercury days before his arrest ["Ask an Undocumented Immigrant," News, Nov 10] and said he was unafraid of being found out by immigration authorities: "We have a voice and I'm not going to wait for an ally or someone to speak for me, we have the power." All of the 13 activists arrested during the protest were released. SARAH MIRK
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