I’m in Juvenile Court at NE 68th and Halsey for the resumption of the trial of the girl involved in Officer Chris Humphreys’ use of a beanbag shotgun last November.
- ILLUSTRATION BY JESSE REKLAW
The girl, whom the Mercury is not naming because of her age, is on medication to assist with anxiety, anger and aggressive behavior, according to her mother, who testified this morning. The girl has also been seeing a psychiatrist since 2007, said her mother.
“I think the main triggers are when she was 7 she was sexually raped and molested,” said her mother this morning. “Then there was the separation of her father and I when she was 3, and she was taken away from home and put in foster homes back in 2006.”
As a result, the girl doesn’t like to be touched, her mother said. Her attorney asked her mother how she responds to physical direction.
“So, if I’m trying to touch her and help her, she doesn’t like to be touched, and so she may be aggressive,” said her mother. “And I have experienced the aggressiveness on several different occasions, and sometimes she may comply.”
The girl’s mother talked to Officer Aaron Dauchy on the phone on the night of the incident, and told him that she had a history of being aggressive, and “that in the past when she feels she has been violated, she responds to that.” “With [name redacted], I don’t touch her when I want her to do something,” said her mother.
The girl also allegedly struck a Fred Meyer security guard in the face on October 29, her mother confirmed.
The girl is claiming self defense in the case, but District Attorney Michael Reidel has relied on a recent supreme court opinion to suggest that the claim of self defense doesn’t apply here. Updates shortly.
I…well, I would think that you could say pretty much ALL criminals who are being arrested wish the police weren’t touching them. Does that mean it’s okay for them to attack police officers?
@Reymont: Who knows in this case, since the judge is yet to rule. It’s not a jury trial, incidentally.
check your email matt
Normally I do not side with the police and their lack of care where it concerns the mentally ill BUT how the fuck are they supposed to know she doesn’t like to be touched????
The bean bag thing was waaaaaaaaaaaaay out of control but the other officers were well within bounds to try and cuff her.
This is getting into an area no cop can be expected to understand.
So I see the girl you weren’t going to name has a name that her mother uses…Unless that’s a pseudonym, or something.
@rich bachelor No, that was an oversight and it’s been redacted. Thanks.
@Matt – I know it was reported that the 12 year old girl was 5’7″ and 170 pounds…but I couldn’t find an original source for those numbers when I tried to Google it yesterday. Did you see her in person at the trial? What did you think?
I think it’s a really important point – a lot of people, like Abusive above, say the beanbag was waaaaaaaaaaaaay out of line because of her age – that’s ridiculous. She’s more than adult-sized, and I bet she could kick the ass of all these people saying she was a helpless little girl.
@Reymont: That girl outweighs me by about 25 pounds, I think that means it’s unfair to ever beanbag me; ‘natch.
@Reymont. Yes, she’s big. She’s 160lbs, according to her attorneys. And 5’6″ or 5’7″. She’s also obviously young. I would estimate 12 to 14 at most, looking at her face. And the officers knew in advance of the altercation that they were dealing with a twelve year-old.
@Matt – Again, why does age matter in a physical altercation? Does that mean it hurts less when she hits you? If she hit you, would you laugh off your broken nose because you “knew in advance that she was a 12-year old?”
I had a conversation with a police officer the other day. He told me that he and six other male police officers were unable to subdue a 110 lb. woman they were trying to book into jail. That’s a teeny, tiny woman!
Well they should have fucking shot her then right?
What good are the ‘roids if you can’t handle a 12 year old without an 870? Save your money and then you can afford to move to Portland, PPB cops. Oh wait, you already can afford to live here you just don’t.
Umm….huh?
Lisa, you’re slow. It’s OK. I’ll try to explain things for you.
If seven men can’t subdue a 110 lb woman or if a grown ass cop sitting on top of a 12 year old girl can’t handle the situation without his steroid primed buddy shooting said girl with a shotgun (say a Remington 870) at point blank range, then they are by all definitions, pussies who are not fit for employment in the city of Portland.
Full stop.