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Federal Judge Expresses Disappointment in City’s Ongoing Non-Compliance in PPB Settlement

“I was expecting greater transparency by now.” 

The city of Portland and the US Department of Justice (DOJ) were back in federal court Wednesday morning to provide an update on the cityโ€™s ongoing attempts to comply with a 2014 settlement agreement with the DOJ.ย  The agreement was reached after a federal investigation in 2012 found that Portland police had a practice of […]

Posted inCops

City Council Set to Approve $47,500 to Settle Police Abuse Case

Cushing is one of at least nine Portlanders whose civil cases against the city for officers’ conduct at 2020 demonstrations has resulted in a settlement payout from the city.

Portland City Council will vote Wednesday on whether it should award $47,500 to Portlander Evelyn Cushing for her injuries sustained by a Portland cop during a 2020 racial justice protest. According to a draft legal complaint sent to the city, Cushing was beaten with a night stick by Officer Brian Wheeler at a demonstration in […]

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Lawsuit Against Feds’ Use of Chemical Weapons on Portlanders in 2020 Heads to Appeals Court

While protesting for racial justice in downtown Portland in summer 2020, Brenna Bell was regularly exposed to both pepper spray and tear gas fired into crowds of demonstrators by law enforcement officers. But one of her most memorable experiences was getting tear-gassed not by a police officer, but by a tree.ย  โ€œI was just standing […]

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UPDATE: One Woman Injured from Deputy Shooting in Lloyd District

Local law enforcement have shared more information about the Wednesday incident in the Lloyd District that involved a Multnomah County sheriff’s deputy shooting a member of the public.ย Up until now, it was unknown whether the shooting victim had survived the incident. According to a press release from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) no one […]

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Jury Finds Portland Police Liable For Unreasonable Force and Battery in First 2020 Protest Case

A jury has found the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) liable for battery and unreasonable force in an incident that left a 2020 racial justice protest attendee with a broken arm and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The jury chose not to find the bureau liable for assault, nor did they find PPB responsible for “negligent training” […]

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First Case Against Portland Police Officer Violence from 2020 Protests Goes to Trial

The first lawsuit against Portland police officers for their treatment of protesters in 2020 has reached its day in court.ย  The case comes from Erin Wenzel, a care coordinator at Oregon Health and Science University who attended a racial justice protest with her husband on August 14, 2020. Wenzel, who lives in Beaverton, attended the […]

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Wheeler Moves Forward with Controversial Gunshot Detection Technology

Mayor Ted Wheelerโ€™s office will develop a pilot program for the controversial gunshot-detection technology ShotSpotter, according to an announcement at a police oversight meeting Thursday evening. The pilot will need to be voted on by City Council before being adopted by the city. ShotSpotter uses microphones placed on telephone poles, street lights, and other tall […]

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City to Pay $85,000 to Settle Retaliation Lawsuit Filed by Police Captain

Portland City Council will vote Wednesday to pay $85,000 to settle a 2020 lawsuit filed by a member of Portland Police Bureau (PPB) accusing the city of employment discrimination and retaliation.ย  James Crooker, who now serves as a Police Captain, made a slate of allegations against city and PPB leadership in his 2020 lawsuit. First, […]

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City Raises Concerns about ShotSpotter Gunshot Detection Technology

The city office focused on surveillance technology and public data ethics, Smart City PDX, isn’t certain that a technology used to monitor gunshots is the right tool to address Portland’s gun violence problem. In a report prepared for City Council, staff with Smart City PDX explain that the technologyโ€”called ShotSpotterโ€”could open the city up to […]

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Police Shoot at Armed Man During Attempted Arrest in Lents Neighborhood

Tuesday’s shooting marks the sixth by PPB in 2022.

Update, December 9:ย  The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) has released the names of the Focused Intervention Team officers responsible for the Lents shooting, four months after it took place.ย  According to a PPB press release, Charles Elam, Amy Li, and Christopher Baten were involved in the shooting. The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office reviewed the […]

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