Blind woman to sue Portland police for excessive force

NW Cable News ^ | 10/01/03 | ABE ESTIMADA

[bedolido]

PORTLAND - A 71-year-old Portland woman who is blind intends to sue police because she claims officers used excessive force.

Eunice Crowder was still recovering from the June scuffle with officers. She claimed police went too far when they used handcuffs, tazers and pepper spray when they tried to restrain her outside her north Portland home.

“They pepper sprayed me in my prosthesis,” she said. “It ran through and down my nose so fast.”

Crowder is seeking unspecified damages in federal court. She is legally blind and has trouble hearing and walking.

“It stung,” she said. “It made me feel like I was choking. It made me angry. I was having trouble breathing. Nobody seemed to care.”

The trouble began when city crews with warrants were ordered to clean up her messy yard. She became irate after crews tried to take what she described as family heirlooms.

When police were called in, she tried to kick and bite, and officers attempted to restrain her, according to police reports.

Crowder was cited for harassment and interfering with a peace officer. A police spokesman said the bureau can’t comment on the case because it is under investigation.

Her attorney, Ken Walker, wonders how much force was needed to bring Crowder under control.

“The police have knocked her down,” he said. “They’ve tazered her. They maced her. They handcuffed her. They’ve thrown her in a police car. We think the message needs to be sent that enough is enough.”

KGW reporter Kyle Iboshi contributed to this article.

[bedolido]

Eunice Crowder, 71, is legally blind. She says Portland police used excessive force after she fought with them. (KGW Photo)

[nevergore]

Dang...she must be one tough old codger.....

Those poor wittle Portland cops....couldn't restrain her....

NeverGore

[Rifleman]

Yah, they should have stompted her for contempt of cop. Let one old woman get away with this kind of behaviour and pretty soon the rest of the population might get ideas.

[Orangedog]

I can't wait to see how this one is defended around here....

[xm177e2]

For starters, nobody is disputing that she tried to bite police officers. It's ridiculous to claim that anyone has the right to physically attack police officers, even if they're old and blind.

[annyokie]

What you said.

[nevergore]

"For starters, nobody is disputing that she tried to bite police officers."

Oh yeah...were her dentures in?? Good gosh...thse officers could have been in for a serious gumming....Oh the horror!

Dentures = Assault with a deadly weapon...

When dentures are outlawed, only outlaws will have dentures....

NeverGore :^)

[appalachian_dweller]

>> The trouble began when city crews with warrants were ordered to clean up her messy yard. <<

I wonder how 'messy' the yard was. Did her neighbors complain? Was there a health issue?

I'd like to know why there was a warrant. We’re losing our property rights very quickly in this country.

I’d resist too if I thought they were entering my home illegally. Cops are not always right. After all, they work for the government.

[r9etb]

They pepper sprayed me in my prosthesis

Huh?

[Uncle Sausage]

It's ridiculous to claim that anyone has the right to physically attack police officers, even if they're old and blind.

Are there old and blind police officers?

[Cicero]

Probably she has lived there for decades, and then the yuppies moved in around her and started complaining about her messy yard. No doubt they are all liberal bleeders for the poor, but they can't stand having a real example of what they bleed for living next to them. It brings down the neighborhood, don't you know?

[eniapmot]

I think she meant proboscis.

[r9etb]

I think she meant proboscis.

Probably. I'm just surprised that the reporter put that in.

[Redcoat LI]

They pepper sprayed her in her prosthesis,then it ran down her nose? Where is the prosthesis? What cop in his right mind would pass up a chance to use his taser,those things is fun.Judgement for the Defendant.

[r9etb]

I'd like to know why there was a warrant. We’re losing our property rights very quickly in this country.

Well, offhand I'd say that there was a warrant because we have property rights in this country. Police aren't allowed to enter private property without a warrant -- the old 4th Amendment thing, you know.

[G.Mason]

In the sixties the prime prerequisite for being a police officer was "the ability to exert violence".

I realize times have changed, and we are a much kinder and gentler people, but something must be done!

Perhaps police could wear color coded uniforms.

Say ....... green for Democrat leaning [socialist & rhino] police, and blue for Republican [Atilla the Hun] police.

Then just pass a law that one cannot be arrested apprehended stopped ....... er uh ....... bothered by an officer of the opposite party.

[AppyPappy]

They should have had you there.

[appalachian_dweller]

Yes they had a warrant. What I'm asking is WHY they had a warrant. What was the reason the warrant was issued?

[r9etb]

What I'm asking is WHY they had a warrant. What was the reason the warrant was issued?

According to the article, "the trouble began when city crews with warrants were ordered to clean up her messy yard."

Sounds to me like the reason would have been that the mess in her yard constituted a public health hazard of some sort.

Unfortunately, there don't seem to be any other news stories about this situation, and this story doesn't tell us anything.

Given that the whole thing is presented from her (and her lawyer's) point of view, I'm prepared to believe that there's more to this story.

[appalachian_dweller]

>> this story doesn't tell us anything <<

No it doesn't. It goes back to my earlier post. I'd like to see what the yard looked like. Why was is necessary to get a warrant to clean up a private citizen's yard?

If there was a health hazard, then I'd say the warrant was necessary. BUT, if it was just an eye sore I'd say they had no right to enter the property and she was right for resisting.

Again, we are losing our property rights in the country through the abuse of eminent domain and heavy handed HOAs. When your neighbors can dictate what color you can paint your house, that's TOO far.

[nevergore]

Yep....There are many different ways to execute a warrant...

Had I been there, I may have backed off and called in social workers to try to reason with the old lady -or- compromised to have the workers move the "Heirlooms" off to the side safely while they clean the rest of the yard. Who knows what the correct action was to pacify the situation but the path followed by the officers on site appears on the surface as extremely aggressive considering the nature of the warrant. There was no immediate and impending reason that they had to execute that day if this was so distressful to the woman.

Was she wrong to fight with the cops, of course!

But discretion is the better part of valor....

NeverGore

[AppyPappy]

In short, you weren't there but you knew what to do. Here's a hint: When some whacked out old woman tries to bite you, don't let her. She might have AIDS or TB or God knows what. Everyone's a hero when someone else is on the line.

[nevergore]

"In short, you weren't there but you knew what to do."

In short, you must post before you read.....My response stated:

"Who knows what the correct action was to pacify the situation but the path followed by the officers on site appears on the surface as extremely aggressive considering the nature of the warrant."

I think that statement clearly delineates that since I was not there, I don't have the definitive answer yet I have suspicions that the actual response was somewhat over the top...

When the facts of this engagement come out with greater detail a more proper analysis can be made.

NeverGore

[AppyPappy]

I'm pretty sure the actions of the officers was a reaction to the woman's attack. I could be wrong but I doubt it.

[nevergore]

Your probably right...it was a response to the woman's actions - however - a good field officer with any discretion should know how to difuse a situation...He could have ordered the workers out of the yard etc.

These steps may have been taken... but to taser & pepper spray a handicapped, blind 71 year old woman.....He'd better have a damm good explanation if I were his field officer....

NeverGore

[AppyPappy]

Having worked with EMS, I would wager that walking away would not necessarily defuse the situation. Once they go off, they rarely go back on. They are not thinking rationally and you can't expect rational behavior. She could have easily gone back inside and gotten a gun. Then the police would be liable for anyone she shot because they let her go.

[nevergore]

Now I've got you putting forward hypothesis though you weren't there....

Grin :^)

In the end, the devil will be with the details leaving us to only speculate for now....

NeverGore

[Orangedog]

For starters, nobody is disputing that she tried to bite police officers. It's ridiculous to claim that anyone has the right to physically attack police officers, even if they're old and blind.

Let me get this straight...The brave policemen felt it was an appropriate use of force to pepper spray and taser a 70 year old woman because she bit one of them. How many cops does it take to restrain a 70 year old woman? If there was more than one cop there and they really felt justified in using a taser and pepper spray on a woman in her 70's then they shouldn't have a badge and a gun.

[Orangedog]

Who knows what the correct action was to pacify the situation but the path followed by the officers on site appears on the surface as extremely aggressive considering the nature of the warrant. There was no immediate and impending reason that they had to execute that day if this was so distressful to the woman.

Which kinda makes me think that these guys don't have the temperament for the job. But there's plenty of people around here who think that it's ok for a group of cops to taser an old woman because she gummed one of them.

[nevergore]

They tasered her and pepper spray'd her....given a little more time perhaps they could have gotten a few good whacks with the nightstick...Ya' know, ya' never can be too sure with a 71 year old blind woman.....

NeverGore