"As chronicled here, the knife has changed from early police descriptions of a "razor knife with a six-inch handle" to an Exacto knife or boxcutter. Officers interviewed as part of the investigation into the shooting describe the knife as both a scalpel and a “hobby style ‘exacto’ razor knife”. "

All of those descriptions sound pretty much the same to me: long handle, short blade. That's what a scalpel looks like; that's what a hobby knife looks like; that's what an Exacto knife looks like. Why is this an issue? Yes, a short blade is potentially deadly. I think you're trying too hard to find the scandal here.

Where's the medical examiner's report?

The fundamental question is whether a deranged transient with an exacto knife constitutes a grave enough threat for the police officer to use *deadly* force.

While a taser or pepper spray could have been used--if the police officer got close enough, the man could have inflicted serious damage with any pointed object.

Yet, a mentally-ill man is *dead* because he was threatening a police officer with a 1" exacto knife. Now if the guy was wielding a machete or scimitar, deadly force is understandable, but an exacto knife?

Geez, this again?

Sarah, would you like me to drive you down to the hardware store and show you what a box cutter is?

As I recall, Smirk doesnt mind people pointing guns at her. Why would any knife scare her? RAWR!

Why don't you ask your buddy John Kroger to look up in his manual what it says about requesting photographs of razor knives?

The 9/11 terrorists took down four planes with box cutters. If you don't think an Exacto knife can be a deadly weapon, you're an asshole.

Question Mirk. If Collins didn't have a blade and he tackled Walters to the ground, do you think he would've been justified in shooting him then?

In previous posts about this story, a lot of commentors have been asking to see photos of the knife. I think that's why Mirk is continuing to follow up on this. It does not, to me anyway, feel like she's trying to dig up some conspiracy where none exists. I think she's just trying to get information to the people that the people want to know. Being a journalist, in other words.

Mirk is fine. It's the others who seem to think the police are never justified in shooting anyone, ever.

the oregonian seems to have a photo
http://media.oregonlive.com/portland_impac…

I take issue with Ms. Mirk's characterization of the witness' stories supporting officer Walters. I have not gone through all the documents yet, as I unfortunately do not get paid to do so as my job, but the witness statements i have read seem to dispute key elements in Walters' statement. First, witnesses say Walters was holding ground not pinned against obstacles. This could have allowed for retreat or bought time for switching to less lethal means of resolving the situation. Second, witnesses characterize Collins as drunkenly stumbling which I did not see in Walters' interview. Third, the timing between the two bursts of shots is reported by witnesses to be possibly 1 to 2 minutes, whereas Walters characterizes his decisions as split second and occurring under immediate threat and pressure. Fourth, and possibly most disturbing, witnesses say that the initial two shots brought the man down where he lay for, at least, a brief period of time. Walters characterizes Collins' reactions to the first shots as slowly turning in place in a period of a couple seconds and then resuming his advance towards the officer. I think individually each one of these points raises troubling questions and all together it seems like a different narrative than the one put out by ppb and officer walters. Like I said I haven't read everything but so far I am troubled.

There's a universal park key. And it has a secret name they censored. WTF is it?

I sleuthed, it's called a "Z Key".