Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman said he may reconsider a decision to put Officer Ron Frashour back on the street tomorrow, at a press conference outside a North Portland church alongside Mayor Sam Adams and Jesse Jackson.
Saltzman made the pledge after pressure on the spot from Jackson, who told reporters that for the officer to go back to work tomorrow, “as if this were a traffic incident,” “would be offensive to the community” and send “the wrong message.”
“Aaron has not been in the ground two weeks,” he continued. “This wasn’t a shootout, it was an execution.”
But Police Chief Rosie Sizer announced earlier today that Frashour will be back on the beat tomorrow. Has that changed?
Mayor Adams cut in: “I want to stress that the Albina Ministerial Alliance has a quarter of a century of advocacy on behalf of the African American community,” he said. “Our job as mayor and police commissioner is to hear that diversity of perspective, take that into account, and make decisions. Our priority right now is for the Grand Jury proceedings to be made public.”
- JACKSON AND SALTZMAN: GAVE PRESS CONFERENCE WITH MAYOR ADAMS OUTSIDE CHURCH
“It’s one thing for the Grand Jury proceedings to be made public, but there’s a police chief in command,” Jackson responded. “That man will come back to work. His presence will injure the credibility of the entire police department. His mere presence will trigger lawsuits. Police officers cannot go and sit idly by as if this was a traffic accident.”
And the KOIN reporter pressed Saltzman on this point. “The Reverend has said it would be offensive for that officer to go back to work and yet he’s going to be back on the street tomorrow. Are you not going to make some calls tonight and look into it tonight?” he asked.
“I will look into it tonight,” said Saltzman. “But I do want to stress that this officer is not going back to his old job. He will be going back to neighborhood livability duties.”
“You hear that title?” said Jackson. “Neighborhood livability. What a title. Neighborhood livability.”
“A suicidal man need not be shot at 10 to 20 yards by a high powered rifle and left to suffer for 30 minutes like a shot animal on the ground,” Jackson repeated. “It’s just inhumane.”
The officers could have “made a case” for saying they felt under threat, “if he was in a wrestling match over a gun,” said Jackson.
Jackson was asked by a KATU reporter about suggestions that he shouldn’t be meddling in Portland’s business. What is he doing here, she asked?
“I was invited here, I’m American. They said Dr.King should not be in Birmingham,” said Jackson. “I’m seeking justice in the world. Whether it’s in Iraq, or Cuba, or Yugoslavia, or Portland.”
“Here you have a case where a man was shot by a high powered rifle from 10 to 20 yards away. He was no threat to the officer, it’s 20 yards from here to that church,” said Jackson.
Jackson also said that the “all white grand jury” was “not reflective of the makeup of Portland,” and called on future grand juries to be more racially diverse. He also called on the police bureau to be reflective, “horizontally,” of Portland. “There are no black officers in command.”
Mayor Adams thanked Jackson for a “useful, straightforward and blunt” private meeting. There’s more expected shortly.
Any Candidate Except Saltzman
All you small town politicians and your bushleague soundbites can take a hike. The Reverend is here to show you how it’s done!
Why doesn’t Jesse Jackson ever address the astounding rate of black-on-white crime, or black-on-black crime for that matter? 94% of all blacks killed in the USA are killed by another black. Oh yeah, I am an evil racist for pointing out these facts, waaaaaah.
No, you’re not an evil racist for pointing out the high black on black crime rate in America, you’re a racist for trying to divert attention from a police force that kills instead of resolve crises in a non-lethal manner. The real numbers you should be crunching are the number of deaths at the hands of Portland police versus other police forces of comparably sized cities. Try bringing in some more facts about non-lethal intervention by police or something relevant to this discussion.
It wasn’t black on black crime that killed the people in question and somehow, I don’t think that’s the real concern for you. Really, find a tea-bagging party if all you want to do is rant about your fear of people of color.
Oh, and THAT is what makes you an evil racist,
[COMMENT DELETED: OFF TOPIC.]
Maybe this dumbass who got killed shouldn’t have assaulted people and held them hostage and screamed at the cops and disobeyed them. Such an evil racist thought, waaaah! I need to go to Divershitty Sensitivity Training Seminars.
what is wrong with Saltzman? are events whirling around him so fast and furious that the poor Empty Suit is confused and not thinking right? it’s a sad joke that the most obvious S-O-L-U-T-I-O-N right now is NOT to put a nutjob like Ron Frashour back on the job, and poor old Saltzman has to be told this by Jesse Jackson.
Take a deep breath Dan and let your head calm down so you can get your thinking RIGHT and do what is the right thing, and stop this idiotic pandering to the frigging PPB rogues and the old besotted has-beens at PPA.
Do what WE want and not what these maniacal killers want you to do. Forget Rosie, she’s a short-timer and is on the way out the door. She’s hardly going to do you any political favors at this late day…ignore her as if she doesn’t hold the job…she’s as much in disarray as her poorly coiffed hair when she steps before a camera…when she whispers her nonsense in your ear, pat her on the head, hand her comb and smile and then forget what she said.
Something needs to be done about the incessant police violence in this city, as it seems to be getting worse and more frequent. It also seems that police officers themselves are less hesitant to use excessive force, especially against people of color. They are not being properly reprimanded for their actions and by not holding anyone accountable for these heinous crimes and addressing the underlying problems, it only reinforces institutional racism in the police bureau. As a Portlander, I do not want to be afraid of the police and worry that if I turn my back or make a sudden move, I will be executed. Frashour needs to be stripped of his duties to serve and protect.
[COMMENT DELETED: RACIST LANGUAGE, THREATENING]
@8, EsmaVoltag, yes, exactly. I’ve lived in many cities but none with as insular and dangerous a police force as in Portland. It’s astonishing that they are allowed to shed responsibility and hide review procedures from public view. In doing so, they become lawless.
Did Jesse Jackson really just compare himself to MLK? I think he could have easily made his point without going there. Delusions of grandeur much?
Boondoggle, please go back to debate school. He was ILLUSTRATING that people fighting for justice on a national and international level have historically been told to mind their own business.
Go join the guy popping his zits.
“Delusions of grandeur much?”
I still can’t figure out why the guy is even here? And people all gather around to kiss his ass. If I retained any capacity to be embarrassed for Saltzman or Adams I would be.
Wow, way to put me in my place there, gonetorio. Even more kudos for missing the point and stating the obvious. Why don’t you go take your own advice, little buddy?
@ Blabby – Exactly. I mean, it’s possible that on some level the guy has good intentions, but the grandstanding seems a bit opportunistic.
Yes, Jesse Jackson isn’t MLK, but he is certainly allowed to compare himself to him. Next.
NRT officers are typically pretty good, they are the people who show up to all the little meetings around town and are the police’s face in the community. It looks like they are trying to change that one, way to go popo, they sure know how to put their best foot forward. If they have to put him back on duty, have him wash squad cars or something, but NRT? Bad, bad idea.
Portland wants to see it self as a progressive green city nationally. It’s really the Selma Alabama of the north. With out of control racist cops and a white population that excuses them whenever they shoot and kill unarmed people of color or people they deem undesirable like Chasse. Is the Grand jury made up of ex cops, Nazis, or both?
@wardove I don’t know about now but Kroeker certainly wasn’t known for his ability to distinguish racism from not-racism.
Jesse Jackson is here because the Mayor and City Council (Randy Leonard excluded) are a bunch of milquetoasts who back down when challenged by the PPA and Scott Westerman.
How do you counter a little bully? With a big bully like Jesse Jackson. Portland is used to its citizens having a short attention span – Sam Adams will try to distract the liberal populace of Portland with streetcars and bikes – “So what if the cops shot a black man for no reason – here are some bike lanes and streetcars to make you feel good about *saving the planet*!”
Jesse Jackson will bring some unwanted attention on the PPB, and a Justice Department investigation with a consent decree would be the only way to reform the PPB, as the city is likely to use the same milquetoasty attitude toward negotiating the PPA contract that’s up for renewal this year.