Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman has apologized to the family of James Chasse this afternoon, formally announcing the city’s record $1.6million settlement with Chasse’s family over the death.
- DEPUTY CITY ATTORNEY JIM RICE (LEFT) WITH POLICE COMMISSIONER DAN SALTZMAN
“The officers [involved] will continue to work for the police bureau and have served their discipline,” he said.
Officer Christopher Humphreys and Sergeant Kyle Nice both got two weeks off over the incident.
“My deepest apologies on behalf of the city to the Chasse family in the loss of their son and brother,” said Saltzman. “I know words are of little consolation, but we are truly sorry for your loss.”
“I believe that both sides, in the end, wanted to avoid a trial,” he said. “I can’t speak for the family, but this was the settlement amount that all sides agreed to. I think nobody would win by this going to trial.”
$1million will come from the city’s self-insured reserve, and $600,000 from the city’s excess insurance carrier. The city has spent $250,000 so far on attorneys to defend the case. The $1.6million includes the Chasse family’s attorney fees.
“I believe this to be in the best interests of our city and our community, and it is my hope that by settling this case, we as a community can to begin to heal from the death of Mr.Chasse,” said Saltzman.
City Attorney Jim Rice was asked about allegations that the police officers involved in Chasse’s death had tried to cover up the reasons for chasing Chasse by telling onlookers that he was a drug dealer. “I don’t think there was any cover up that was ever shown by anyone in this case, although evidence can be looked at by two different people and they can come to different conclusions,” he said.
“His death has led us all to take a serious look at the way we as a community treat the mentally ill,” Saltzman continued. “The police bureau has already made substantial changes in its use of force policies, medical transport policies, and since Mr.Chasse’s death all our police officers have undergone Crisis Intervention Training.”
Saltzman said a new crisis triage center to be built with Multnomah County “substantially fills the gap that exists in our current services.” He also said there will be an expansion of the city’s “pilot program that pairs mental health workers with police officers.”
Saltzman also said that the documents in the case would be released to the public. If there’s any dispute about the release of certain documents, that will go before a judge, he said.
“I believe the public needs to see and fully understand the events leading up to Mr.Chasse’s tragic death,” he continued.
“Both parties are satisfied. The question is why did it take so long, and why did the city allow the public trust to be eroded to the point it has been?” asked Jason Renaud with the Mental Health Association of Portland.
“I believe it’s the highest settlement, the highest that I’m aware of,” said Linda Meng, acknowledging that the settlement is a record for an in-custody death.
Does the healing begin before or after Kyle Nice pulls a gun on another motorist while off-duty?
You know who else had hair like Saltzman?
sad. still overwhelmingly sad.
“The question is why did it take so long, and why did the city allow the public trust to be eroded to the point it has been?” asked Jason Renaud with the Mental Health Association of Portland.
The answer is probably a combination of standard bureaucratic leadfootery and attorneys jockeying for perceived leverage in negotiations. The family’s attorney probably timed it pretty well: make the City wait long enough that everyone could get all worked up about the possible negative outcome, but don’t wait so long that the City is painted into a corner by saturation media coverage of the trial.
What I mean by the second part is, the City loses SOME face when they settle this case now, but not nearly as much as if they drag everyone through a trial, only to settle just before the jury gets the case, for example. If that happens, everyone is REALLY pissed. That tells me that the only other point where they could settle between now and verdict is probably just after jury selection, and many of the attorneys in town will be second guessing Steenson’s timing for that reason.
so Salztman is “sorry” is he? how damned sorry is he really? sorry enough to fire those f@#king
three thugs that kicked and stomp Chasse to death???? this will be the true measure of Salztman’s
“sorrow” and not his glib speech of a politician seeking re-election…let’s goad his ass till he bend’s to our
will and fires these worthless PoPiggies N-O-W and put’s their asses to Dempster Dumpster diving to
get empty boxes so they can move out of our mist….just go far away so we can forget them!
Can you imagine if you caused a death at your work? And all your fellow employees had to chip in and pay $1.6M. Do you think you’d still have a job?
So, a Tri-Met driver is going to get criminal charges for running over people she clearly didn’t see, but Humphries and Nice get a total pass for a violent, clearly intentional attack which was also a bias crime against a disabled person for looking vulnerable in a public place. He had done nothing wrong. There was no complaint, no call, no disturbance, no crime. Chasse asked what he had done wrong. He only ran when there was no answer to his question.
Agh-argh-ugh-gah-fuckin… nope. No words. What ‘lew archer’ said.
Remember all those police with the signs “I am Chris Humphries”…where are their signs saying “I was at fault”? I guess solidarity goes to a point and then it stops when convenient.