Has a picture of Jackies' knife been released yet? And if not, why not?

Sarah, I truly love the article, the narrative and your resourcefulness of actually hitting the streets, but one critique: one "quantifies" numerical data and "qualifies" observational data.

Very good article. Nice to see the Merc doing reporting rather than editorializing.

@Jacob - I think she used 'quantifies' correctly here, because the booking process forces the officer to break observational data into a series of impersonal checkmarks on a list of descriptive words.

Great reporting, Sarah. Thanks for summing everything up for us so far.

Portland cops are obviously pussies. Christ, I could disarm and detain an old drunk with an exacto knife, and I'm out of shape and have no training. Don't count on these guys to protect anyone or anything if the shit ever does hit the fan.

Great reporting as usual, Sarah. Still want to see a photo of the knife.

@Rip City,
Could you now? Why don't we test that theory. I'll find an old drunk who WANTS TO DIE, hand him a knife, and you disarm him. We'll sell tickets and donate the proceeds to Hooper. That is, what's left over after you burial costs.

Thanks for the article. Well written. I was visiting my girlfriend in Portland (I live in another state), and we went to the Arboretum that day. We left about an hour before the shooting. We did not encounter Jack Dale Collins, but there was a weird vibe there that day, which I hadn't experienced before. The day before, we were walking past St. Francis Church, when a homeless man began shouting obscenities at her. A day or so prior, a deranged woman approached us as we were walking down the downtown street in her direction and insisted we stop following her. Your article contextualizes a lot of that, in my mind.

"Very good article. Nice to see the Merc doing reporting rather than editoralizing."
+1

Here here Spartacus! No offense to Davis, he is clearly a passionate individual. However, Mirk's writing shows so much more discipline and work ethic. Not only is it a better mental exercise to read these pieces, it's more entertaining. Let's face it; the constant opining that we're subjected to as consumers of "the news" is getting fucking boring already! If I have to read one more blog post by a supposed "writer" (not pointing any fingers here) that's simply two sentences and a youtube video I'm going to scream.

"Has a picture of Jackies' knife been released yet? And if not, why not?"

I think we all know what a little bitty box cutter with a 5" handle & a 1" blade looks like. I use them at my work all the time. What i'd like to know is, why hasn't Ofc. Jason Walters been suspended yet pending an investigation into [this latest] cop shooting.

Speaking of work, why can't cops be even so-much as drug-tested whenever they shoot or beat someone?

Great work Miss Mirk and thank you for this piece. It’s surprising that your editor-in-chief, Humpty Dumpty, can retain such talent, but then again I’d imagine landing a decent paying journalism gig these days is pretty tough.

It seemed almost coincidental, but this story partnered with your letter of the week (More Tasteful Pee, Please) reminded me of an “incident” that I witnessed on my way home several weeks back.

My girlfriend and I, along with about six other randoms, were waiting for the MAX on 5th avenue. It was nearing dark and an older homeless couple had just laid out their blankets for the night in front of a closed shop-front. Along came the police horse patrol, a male and female officer, and they immediately went straight over to the couple. When they reached them, they boxed the couple into the little doorway with their horses and began to give them the typical hard-time. Shortly into the lecture, the horse that the male officer was riding began to urinate. The officer made no attempt to move away from the people or anything. Instead, he stayed put as the horse let loose for what seemed like forever, all the while the piss was splashing on the concrete in easily a 3-4 foot radius all over their blankets and the few items they possessed. As the yellow river flowed across the sidewalk and off the curb, someone standing there actually yelled, “Which is more offensive?” After that I guess they realized that people were actually watching them and the male office just shrugged and said, “Don’t worry about it, it’s organic,” as they went clippity-clopping off down the street.

Witnessing that incident really bothered me for several days. It was such a blatant example of just how bad the situation has become. This article really brought out the “human element” to this latest tragic shooting and it also highlighted some of the more dysfunctional aspects of this city, not just the police department and their treatment of the most vulnerable, but it all leads back to the lack of leadership from the city council. No one wants to take ownership, least of all Adams, and Leonard’s campaign for more oversight is so transparent it’s sickening. Do you really think Mr. Let’s Arm the Water Guards gives a shit about how the police treat the homeless and minorities? It’s all bullshit, he’s just jockeying for position and crossing his fingers that the recall somehow succeeds.

"the preferred weapon of the 911 hijackers"

You do know that those planes were most likely empty when they hit their intended targets, right?

Very great thanks, Sarah, for writing so poignantly about this tragic and perhaps unnecessary death. I have serious concerns about how Officer Walters handled the situation, and in combination the Aaron Campbell shooting, very serious concerns about the Portland Police Department. Lately, I've been concerned that the story of Jake Collins was getting buried under other news about protest, without reference to Jake - thanks for bringing his story to the front, with such thoughtful & gentle writing.

-jasper

PS: I just read that there will be a memorial for Jake Collins and 68 other homeless who have died in the last year. Here's the link: http://www.mentalhealthportland.org/?p=474…

Only in Portland would people be so quick to second guess a police officer in this situation. The officer responded to a legitimate complaint of a person acting strangely and scaring people. He encountered a man covered in blood and carrying a knife. He did not know whether the knife wielding man had attacked or injured someone in the bathroom, but it was definitely a possibility. The man refused to answer questions from the officer, and continued to advance on him while still carrying the knife after he was told not to do so. The officer responded. It is very easy to second guess his actions while sitting in the safety security and anonymity afforded by the internet. It is a terrible shame that this man was killed. If you want to point blame at something or someone blame the care system that fails the mentally ill in this country, not the officer who was protecting his own life, and potentially the lives of everyone else who was in the area.

A bloody drunk bum approaches a police officer with a knife, refuses to drop it, and is shot in the process....so what's the controversy here? Are people in this town so deluded that they don't understand that cops have the right to use deadly force? Shit almighty I'm sick of hearing people piss and moan about this stuff. If a cop tells me to drop something I drop it, if a cop tells me to get on the ground I get on the ground...and why? Because they're fucking cops and they can shoot me if I don't!!!! Why is this concept so damn hard to understand in this town?!?!? How many of these oh so innocent victims would still be alive if they'd just shut up and done what the officer told them to do in the first place?

"Only in Portland would people be so quick to second guess a police officer in this situation."

You forget, this [latest] situation happened right on the heels of Aaron M. Campbells' murder just over two months ago. Not to mention James P. Chasses' murder which is still very current (civil trial against the city set for June). And the fact that several other cop murders in recent years remain un-resolved.

Any time a cop shoots & kills someone, it NEEDS to be second guessed! Or do you prefer to live in a fascist state where the thugs can just have their way with you & noone dares question their methods?

"However since my uncle was at his job in the section of the Pentagon the "more than likely empty" airplane flew into..."

Actually, it was most likely a missile that hit the Pentagon. There was never any real physical evidence a plane was used on [that] target.

"it is a very good thing we are not having this conversation in person. That would be less than beneficial for your physical well being or my police record..."

Could i take this to mean that you're a potentially violent thug who's prone to assaulting people he simply disagress with?

I have no problem second guessing the actions of police, and the other recent incidents certainly deserve scrutiny. My point was that this situation is totally different from those, and as far as looking in to the incident the investigation is already under way. Between the internal review, the grand jury, and any possible civil suit this incident will receive adequate review. I would guess that the officer will be cleared of any wrongdoing.

Thank you so much Sarah for writing this article. It is powerful, but still objective. You have done good work for the homeless community here.

Steve Kimes
Pastor of Anawim Christian Community

BTW, Diver is doing okay-- he's been off drugs for months now.

he molested a girl when he was 16... 42 years of guilt without any possibility to ask for forgiveness.

great story, thanks Mirk.

Excellent reporting, excellent writing. Sounds like a very confusing situation that ended tragically in a matter of seconds.

The bigger issue here, as a few people already pointed out, is that there is simply not adequate care for people like Collins. Until we are able to provide adequate help to people in his situation, more tragedies like this are inevitable.

The other issue, duh, is guns. Always with the guns, America, always with the guns. But let's crack that can of worms open on another day.

I appreciate the Mercury for it's coverage of Portland events, and fun articles. However, I am sick of reading or advocacy for the drunken homeless, the violent homeless, the homeless rapists, and the rapists still living with their parents that turn out to be drunken violent homeless. If I quit my job and run around the city drunk and half naked and threatening to kill mothers and their sons will I get a pretty little article written about me? "The Most Courageous Half Naked Drunken Violent Homeless Rapist Ever"? Will Sarah Mirk collaborate with some edgy artist to create a memoir dedicated to the struggles of me and my outrageously-named friends as we valiently shoot the shit and drink in public? Aaron Campbell worked, drove, and fathered. 'Old Man Jackie Collins' raped, abused, and threatened. Come on, Sarah.

@Brynnel

Just how many "drunk, violent, half-naked homeless rapists" do you think there are in this city?

Thanks for writing this article.

Suicide by cop.


And this sentence was confusing to me:
"Officer Walters, according to the official interview police investigators waited 48 hours to conduct, knocked on the door. "

I had to wait until the end of the article to understand what you were trying to say.
Just f.y.i. or whatever.


Good article.