BLOGTOWN

A memorial in Southeast Portland for Jean Gerich, the pedestrian killed in a hit-and-run Monday. Alex Zielinski

Paul Rivas, 64, faces a total of 14 charges for killing one woman and injuring six others with his Honda Element in an area spanning SE Stark and SE Belmont, between Laurelhurst Park and SE 17th. Along with second-degree murder, Rivas is charged with seven counts of failure to perform the duties of a driver and six counts of assault in the second degree.

Rivas was arrested Monday afternoon, after crashing his car and attempting to leave the scene on foot—only to be stopped and detained by a group of neighbors. In the court's arrest affidavit, witnesses describe Rivas hitting each victim without decelerating and then speeding away, never attempting to stop and render aid. That includes 77-year-old Jean Gerich, who Rivas ran over twice, dragging her under the vehicle as he sped off. Gerich died from her injuries Monday.

Rivas pled not guilty to all charges Monday afternoon.

In a "lengthy interview" with Portland Police Bureau (PPB) detectives Tuesday, which is cited in the affidavit, Rivas said that his car was "having brake problems" and that he had been "searching the area for an open auto repair shop" at the time.

Spencer Platt / Getty images

In local news:

• The person behind the brutal intentional hit-and-run spree that left one dead and many more injured this week has been identified as 65-year-old Paul Rivas of Oregon City. Meanwhile, neighbors have created a memorial to the victim in Southeast Portland:

I took an afternoon walk to the street where, on Monday, a man killed 77-year-old Jean Gerich with his car. He injured 9 others during what appeared to be an intentional attack on pedestrians and cyclists. There are still tire tracks from his vehicle in the nearby grass. pic.twitter.com/kG5ve3VRpR
— Alex Zielinski (@alex_zee) January 27, 2021

• Last week, the official Republican party of Oregon put out a statement advancing the false conspiracy theory that the attack on the US Capitol was actually a "false flag" attack, and condemning the ten GOP congresspeople who voted in favor of impeaching Trump. Now, actual elected Oregon Republicans are trying to distance themselves from the extremism. Oregon House Republicans put out their own statement today, saying “there is no credible evidence to support false flag claims.”

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Proud Boy leader Enrique Tarrio: "Hey guys, gonna go leak some info to the FBI... BRB!" Stephanie Keith / Getty News

GOOD MORNING, PORTLAND! The jam is live in effect, and I don't waste time on the mic with a dope rhyme. LET'S GO TO PRESS.

• It's gonna be another busy day for Busy Bee Biden who's got a slate of executive orders to sign today focusing on climate change and the racial and economic disparities it produces—but while many larger industries (like auto companies) are coming to accept efforts to fight global warming, the roadblocks are coming from within the Republican Senate and one Democratic senator in particular.

President Biden on Wednesday will sign executive orders elevating climate change at every level of the federal government. “This is the single biggest day for climate action in more than a decade,” said the president of the League of Conservation Voters. https://t.co/7A8K2cm4ED

— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 27, 2021

Welp, the story of the mayor pepper spraying someone just got... much... weirder. Nathan Howard / Getty News

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• To the surprise of no one (except those foreign to the concept of corruption), most GOP senators voted against holding an impeachment trial to convict the seditious, riot inciting Donald Trump. This is not good news, as it indicates that Republicans are willing to let the former president get away with his crimes, because they are still deathly afraid of the political power he holds over them (like the craven cowards they are).

Opinion: On impeachment, Republican senators are as spineless as ever https://t.co/T7aYR2ESg3

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) January 26, 2021

• But here's some positive Senate news: Newly crowned Senate MINORITY Turtle Mitch McConnell has caved to the demands of Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and is no longer demanding protection of the filibuster. This puts control of the Senate firmly in the grasp of Democrats, making the road to passing Biden's plans (such as raising the minimum wage and passing a sweeping COVID relief plan) much easier. STAY IN YOUR SHELL, McCONNELL!

Portland police during a 2020 protest in downtown Portland. MATHIEU LEWIS-ROLLAND

Oregon state lawmakers will hear public testimony on two law enforcement bills Wednesday, picking up its police reform work where last years' special sessions left off.

The Oregon Legislature shifted its focus to law enforcement reform in 2020 after a Black man named George Floyd was killed by Minneapolis police in late May, an incident that sparked protest and drew attention to inequitable policing practices across Oregon. In what would be the first of three special legislative sessions, lawmakers convened on June 24 to fast-track bills related to police reform and COVID-19 relief.

Those bills, championed by the Legislature's BIPOC Caucus (BIPOC stands for Black, Indigenous and people of color), include limitations to when police can use tear gas, a ban on police chokeholds, and a new public database for disciplinary actions taken against police officers in Oregon. Lawmakers also passed a bill that created a new subcommittee tasked with researching and vetting police reform policies to propose during 2021's legislative session, which kicked off last week.