So, what you're saying is, Chief Sizer testified against her own officer, her own department and employer, in open court, and this is the first time anybody is really reporting that fact?

I'm thinking the same thing there #1 - I've gone off on Sizer all week over the Chasse conclusion. To learn now that she used policy effectively against excessive force is very exciting. But I'm furious with myself, and ostensibly the press whom have been misleading me, and my take on the Chasse conclusion is changed as a result. It goes a long way toward mitigating my outrage at this conclusion, and placating my concerns over what seemed a lack of willingness to examine policy.

Upon a closer look at the Chasse conclusion provided by the excellent reporting here, I notice that a policy regarding the deployment of the Taser is what Sizer is looking to when sanctioning Nice. The tone has been, at least partially, set by the ambiguities surrounding the length of Nice's suspension. I'm now thinking that disciplinary options available to the authorities may indeed be quite potent. I can't imagine that there isn't a lot of latitude when addressing the improper deployment of a Taser. As such, I now look on with hope that we'll see a beefy suspension. I now hope too, that there are other additional options that may be available to authorities in charge of determining Nice's punishment that I've yet to hear about.

I hear it all the time in manslaughter cases, and the like. Judges telling now-convicted felons during sentencing, that they really don't care how accidental it was, a human life was lost and somebody is doing some time. With that said, it's my position that there is simply no excuse for any one involved in the beating death of another human. The fact that these were our police only mitigates this. It excuses absolutely nothing.

Prison time should have been given to the 5 officers, and they should be disallowed from ever policing so much as the roll of toilet-paper in their bathrooms. This is so far away from what actually happened it feels like the world is spinning upside-down. My speaking positively about certain aspect of the technicalities here, is in no way meant to reflect anything aside from the abject outrage I feel at the thought of law enforcers beating people to death on our streets.

#1 Yes. I think we're the first paper in town to report on this fact. The Oregonian's writeup of the Waterhouse settlement made no mention of Sizer's testimony.

"Get Portland cops attention, smart off to them, get beat up, go to court, receive a huge settlement!!! Why work when you can take one good beating for $100,000 or more. This is a goldmine!"

Yeah, that's exactly what Chasse had in mind that day. Get himself beaten to death by abuncha cowardly pigs so that, maybe, there might be a payday in it for his grieving family.

Matt,

Why the hell didn't you promote that angle of the story? Why didn't you put it on the cover (assuming you didn't.) The Oregonian deliberately buried that part of the story, or they are incompetent (the same thing, I guess). You want respect from the other papers when you scoop them, don't you? Then make them recognize you. ROSY SIZER TESTIFIED AGAINST HER OWN DEPARTMENT IN A CIVIL LAWSUIT FOR ASSAULTING A PRIVATE CITIZEN WITHOUT CAUSE! Put it in caps on the cover, next time. Its a very big deal. Jeez.

Honestly, we didn't promote this angle because Haile and Waterhouse preferred not to crow about it. They were pleased Sizer had come to their aid and hope she will do so for other victims of excessive force again in future. I would certainly appreciate credit from other outlets for "breaking" this story, but see it in the longer context of an ongoing struggle for police accountability, rather than the quick hit of a breaking story. Responsibility, you say? Or cowardice. Who knows.

I wouldn't call it cowardice not to hype that angle of the story. But I wouldn't call it crowing to report the facts in a way that accurately reflects their importance. The trial is public, so you don't really owe that much to Westerhouse or anybody else for reporting it. I do see the utility of not burying Sizer for doing something right, though. Hopefully she can keep her job and something good will come of it. But it does piss me off that the Oregonian pretends you don't exist after you repeatedly out newshound them.

This is absolutely ridiculous. Only in Portland can the cops get away with killing another human being, with no reason, and walk away free from their actions.

I wish I had this kind of power.

"This is absolutely ridiculous. Only in Portland can the cops get away with killing another human being, with no reason, and walk away free from their actions."

I WISH it was only in Portland. Unfortunately, cops [for the most part] are free to MURDER with impunity all over this broken, sorry-ass country. That one pig, the transit cop who murdered Oscar Grant in Oakland. He's on trial now, or about to go to trial, but he's a VERY RARE exception! And even then, there were other pigs who violated Grants Civil Rights [before] he was shot in the back, & none of them are facing any charges!

There's no justice in this city, so why the fuck should people even abide by it's laws?