May 05, 2004
(Updated) Inquest Jurors Criticize Police Bureau Training
Question Why Officers Did Not Back Off And Call For Assistance
Note: This post has been updated. Any and all updates appear at the end of the original post.
Just later this afternoon, the letter from inquest jurors (pdf) to Mayor Verz Katz and Chief Derrick Foxworth was released. Click through to read the full letter, but we feel overwhelmingly compelled to reprint this particular portion:
It seems to us, from the detailed information we received about the events that led to Mr. Perez's death and from the general knowledge we have of the circumstances of the shooting of Ms. Kendra James last year, that the Portland Police Bureau needs to make a fundamental re-examination of its tactics and training for officers in traffic stops of uncooperative motorists -- particularly those suspected of drug involvement. While again noting our lack of specialized knowledge, we can only wonder what the end result would have been if tactics and training called for the officers to back off and radio for support when Mr. Perez chose to clearly affirm his lack of cooperation by putting up his tinted window.
Sound familiar? It should. We've been pinpointing that precise moment and raising the exact same alternative action for days now.
Kudos to the inquest jurors for honing in on what we also believe is the critical moment of the entire incident, and the single best -- and utterly blown -- opportunity the officers had to turn the situation around.
Update
Now that we've gotten that out of the way, here's a bit mroe about what the jurors said. They also raised questions about whether or not "pretext" traffic stops are covers for racial profiling.
They also called for an examination into the possibility of Portland's police commissioner being an independently-elected position.
More than anything else at the moment, however, we want to commend all six of the jurors not merely for writing this letter but for all signing it, thereby publicly and visibly outing themselves and taking responsibility for their input to the Mayor, the Chief, and the community at large. That takes a certain kind of courage and from us at least they receive gratitude for it.
Meanwhile, word just came in from the Police Bureau's public information officer:
The Chief just received the letter late this afternoon. He is going to sit down and identify the issues, observations and concerns the Jury has listed. He wants to provide a very thoughtful, detailed and considerate reponse.
The PIO says they anticipate a response from the Chief regarding the letter sometime tomorrow.
Comments (4)
Rob on 05 May 2004
You are quick at getting this stuff up, aren't you? Well, way to go B!X! I have been eager to read this ever since I heard they were composing it. As a retired cop's son, and nephew of a former Captain of North Precinct I have been appalled at this incident from the beginning. Finally the most important points are coming to the forefront. Like you, the one that bothers me the most is how Sery testified he repeatedly gave the order to Perez to remove his hand from his pocket only to be shot three times after apparently complying with Sery's request because Sery then feared Perez was pulling a gun out. Really makes you wonder, huh? Not to mention all that's been said about Perez being uncooperative. I think Perez was being about as cooperative as alot of us would be if rousted out of our car within 12-15 seconds of the traffic stop being initiated. Frankly, I'd be somewhat perturbed and a little mouthy myself having to endure such treatment in such a short amount of time.
We have a new breed of cop on the street these days, and they make me sick! Macho, self-rightous, wannabe superheroes, that's all. These are cops that grew up watching Crockett and Tubbs on Miami Vice instead of Friday and Gannon from Dragnet. As a cop's kid I can see the difference in the influence from generation to generation. The "old school" cops were of a much better breed. Allow me to introduce one of those cops who died recently. He was profiled as a "life Story" in the obituary column of todays Oregonian.....
http://www.oregonlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news/1083758440214480.xml?oregonian?lcob
Rob on 05 May 2004
Hmmm...that last post kinda ran into your page a bit. Can't copy the link without copying the side of your page as well. Here it is again..
http://www.oregonlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news/1083758440214480.xml?oregonian?lcob
Rob on 05 May 2004
oops! Sorry! Guess I can't put a link in a post, huh? Well, The cops name is John Nolan. If anyone wants to read about hime go to Oregon Live and search the Oregonian for John Nolan.
The One True b!X on 05 May 2004
Since I allow actual HTML, including href's, MT won't auto-link URLs that are simply written out long-hand, as it were. It's sort of an either/or on the configuration end.