Getty Images / Evgen_Prozhyrko Update, 12/12, 8:30 pm: Portland police have clarified that two officers fired their guns at the unnamed driver Saturday—Sergeant Norman Staples and Officer Kenneth Jackson. Original story, 12/12 10 am: Portland police shot a man Saturday night after causing his vehicle to crash in Southeast Portland. The man, who has not […]
Cops
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UPDATED: Portland Police Fatally Shoot Person Accused of Carjacking on I-5
MATHIEU LEWIS-ROLLAND Update 12/9, 8:30 am: Portland police have updated their original narrative about the Monday incident. According to a Portland Police Bureau (PPB) press release, detectives have now determined that the victim of the carjacking “who reported that she had been shot was not in fact injured by gunfire.” “They’re working to determine the […]
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City Council to Pay $125,000 to Protester Injured by Police in 2018
The helmet Aaron Cantu was wearing when he was hit by an officer’s flash-bang grenade in 2018. Aaron Cantu Portland City Council is poised to pay Portlander Aaron Cantu $125,000 this Wednesday to settle a lawsuit accusing the city of using violence to attack protesters’ First Amendment rights. Cantu was one of hundreds of Portlanders […]
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Hall Monitor: If the Number of Cops Doesn’t Impact Crime, What Can?
MATHIEU LEWIS-ROLLAND Hall Monitor is a column on issues related to Portland City Hall and its influence on the community it serves. ——— In City Hall discussions about the city’s budget (which, in Portland, seems to occur every few months), there is one factor that tends to steer the conversation: data. Bureau programs often win […]
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What Grand Jury Transcripts Reveal About Robert Delgado’s Death
A memorial to Robert Delgado hung at Lents Park in April. Jordan Brokaw It’s been six months since Portland police officer Zachary DeLong fatally shot Robert Delgado, a unhoused man residing in Lents Park. At the time, the public was told that officers arrived at the park after receiving a call describing a man playing […]
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Portland’s Crime Rate Isn’t Impacted By Size of Police Force, Data Finds
Portland police officers at the site of an officer shooting in June 2020. MATHIEU LEWIS-ROLLAND As Portland sees a record-breaking surge in homicide rates and lagging 911 response times, city officials have heard a demand that lies in stark contrast with the calls of 2020’s racial justice protesters: Hire more cops. The bipartisan call has […]
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Body Cams, Hiring Bonuses for Cops, and Other Police Programs Mayor Wheeler Wants in Fall Budget Package
MATHIEU LEWIS-ROLLAND Body cams for cops. Hefty bonuses for new hires in the Portland Police Bureau (PPB). A new police training academy in Portland. These are just a few of the proposals Mayor Ted Wheeler will suggest City Council fund in the city’s upcoming budget adjustment talks. Wheeler highlighted these priorities in a Wednesday press […]
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A Peek Inside Portland’s Ill-Fated Police Oversight System
Portland police officers in Northeast Portland on June 24, 2021, shortly after a police officer fatally shot a member of the public. MATHIEU LEWIS-ROLLAND It’s been nearly a year since Portlanders voted to approve a new oversight system for police who engage in misconduct. Yet, because the process of overhauling a police accountability program takes […]
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Months Later, Wheeler Sends Letters of Condolence to Families of Men Killed by Portland Police
Motoya Nakamura / Multnomah County “The City of Portland values all members of our community,” begins a letter dated September 2, 2021, printed on letterhead from the Office of Mayor Ted Wheeler. “And I’m writing to acknowledge that Mr. Delgado passed away in Portland on April 16th, 2021. While the events are still being investigated, […]
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Grand Jury Clears Police Officer Who Fatally Shot Robert Delgado
A memorial for Robert Delgado placed in Lents Park in April. Jordan Brokaw A Multnomah County grand jury has declined to charge Portland Police Officer Zachary DeLong for killing Robert Delgado in Lents Park in April. DeLong and another officer drove to Lents Park on April 19 after receiving a 911 call describing a man […]
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Portland Police Violated State Law by Livestreaming Protests, Court Finds
Portland police arrive at a protest in August 2020. Paula Bronstein / Getty Images The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) violated state law in 2020 when it filmed protest activity and shared livestreamed footage internally and over social media channels, a Multnomah County judge ruled Monday. Multnomah County Judge Thomas Ryan’s ruling sides with ACLU of […]
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City Funding for Community-Led Gun Violence Programs Off to a Slow Start
Gun casings scattered on the street at a crime scene. D-Keine / Getty Images As gun deaths surged this spring, Portland City Council moved quickly to make a significant investment in gun violence prevention programs. The emergency budget package of $6 million did something that past city measures to deter gun violence have not: It […]