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Police officer kills woman
The Oregonian ^
| 05/05/03
| MAXINE BERNSTEIN
Posted on 05/05/2003 4:06:11 PM PDT by Henrietta
A Portland police officer shot and killed a woman in her 20s early today when she got behind the wheel of a car and tried to drive off after other officers took the original driver into custody during a traffic stop, police said.
The shooting - the first officer-involved fatality this year - occurred about 2:40 a.m. in the eastbound lane of North Skidmore Street, on the Interstate 5 overpass.
A North Precinct officer pulled over a four-door, dark-blue Chevrolet Cavalier on a traffic stop. Police said today they did not know the reason for the stop. But police said the officer had taken the motorist out of the rental car and was trying to confirm the man's identity as it appeared he was carrying no proof of identification.
As the officer took the motorist into custody and led him to a police car, the woman passenger in the car climbed from a back seat into the driver's seat, according to Portland Police Bureau spokesman Sgt. Brian Schmautz.
Police said two other North Precinct officers went to the driver's side of the vehicle and struggled with the woman "to keep her from driving away," Schmautz said. One of the officers used a Tazer against the woman.
The Tazer did not subdue the woman, said Cmdr. Jim Ferraris, head of the detective division. The other officer fired one shot from his firearm, striking the woman in the chest, police said.
The car continued east about 70 yards on North Skidmore Street, until it came to a stop, blocked by two patrol cars. The woman was taken by ambulance to Legacy Emanuel Hospital & Health Center, where she was pronounced dead.
Police did not release the name of the woman shot or the three officers involved in the stop and shooting.
Portland homicide Detectives George Weatherroy and John Brooks are investigating the shooting. By late this morning, the detectives had not interviewed the three officers involved but did do a quick walk-through of the events with at least one of the officers, Schmautz said.
Investigators also were interviewing the motorist who was stopped initially and a male passenger who was in the car.
Schmautz and Ferraris said they did not know the reason for the initial traffic stop or whether the initial driver had been cited for any violations.
An initial police investigation indicated the officer fired at the woman once the car had run over an officer's foot.
State law and Police Bureau policy states that officers can use deadly force "to protect themselves or others from what they reasonably believe to be an immediate threat of death or serious physical injury."
Outside experts hired by the city are conducting a review of 27 Portland police shootings that occurred between January 1997 and July 2000. The Police Assessment Resource Center, a nonprofit agency led by Los Angeles attorney Merrick Bobb, will compare the bureau's use of deadly force, its firearms policies and training with other law enforcement agencies and will identify areas for improvement. The review is expected to be completed in July.
TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Government; US: Oregon
KEYWORDS: abuse; cop; criminal; donutwatch; police
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Comment #21 Removed by Moderator
To: Henrietta
If she was black or a squaw, there will be riots and a bunch of terminated cops. If she was white, there won't be much beyond the finding of justifable homicide. But, it also sounds like there might have been a bunch of dope in the car.
22
posted on
05/05/2003 5:33:33 PM PDT
by
Tacis
To: Boxsford
what exactly is a tazer?System Tackle® Techni-Glo Tazer "The Tazer is an easy-to-use, compact, high-intensity light you can put on your key chain or clip to your belt. The Tazer's bright beam energizes Lindy Techni-Glo jigs, glow-colored fuzz-e-grubs or any glow jig. Modify spoons or lures with glow-in-the-dark tape for use in dingy water, at night or when fish want something "extra". "
I'm not in the least surprised that it didn't stop her.
23
posted on
05/05/2003 5:36:17 PM PDT
by
Oztrich Boy
(Paging Nehemiah Scudder:The Crazy Years are peaking. America is ready for you.)
To: Tacis
But, it also sounds like there might have been a bunch of dope in the car. Two dopes, for sure.
24
posted on
05/05/2003 5:36:32 PM PDT
by
sinkspur
To: Henrietta
Guess that reduces car chases
25
posted on
05/05/2003 5:36:42 PM PDT
by
Sparky760
(The sleeping Giant has been awakened)
To: Mears
I think the police do a good job under very difficult circumstances. How so? There is no attribution of any sort of threat to life or limb here. It is not asserted that she "tried to run over" anyone.
To: Henrietta
They took the driver out of the car and they left the women in the car with the motor running or with the keys in the ignition? Is that SOP?
They left her in the car when she could have had another set of keys? Is that SOP?
They didn't take her out of the car to make sure she did not have a weapon? Is that SOP?
27
posted on
05/05/2003 5:44:44 PM PDT
by
Consort
To: Tacis
Exactly,politically incorrect.But you are right.
28
posted on
05/05/2003 5:47:12 PM PDT
by
dancusa
To: sinkspur
Hey, why wait for evidence when we have an early and thoroughly lacking in detail press report to rely upon. That's more then enough to pass judgement on these murderous thugs.
They're guilty! How more apparent can it be that these jack booted thugs murdered a poor innocent woman.
29
posted on
05/05/2003 5:52:10 PM PDT
by
CWOJackson
(why wait when you can rush to judgement?)
Comment #30 Removed by Moderator
To: Qwerty
"Chances are if a tazer had no effect the woman was pretty much doped up."
Didn't the cops who stopped Rodney King use a Taser on him to no effect before they started whacking him with night sticks?
To: zeugma
Just another 'civilian'(asshole) killed here. Nothing to see. Move along. sounds good to me.
To: xusafflyer
Police said two other North Precinct officers went to the driver's side of the vehicle and struggled with the woman "to keep her from driving away," Schmautz said. One of the officers used a Tazer against the woman.
The Tazer did not subdue the woman, said Cmdr. Jim Ferraris, head of the detective division. The other officer fired one shot from his firearm, striking the woman in the chest, police said.
"An initial police investigation indicated the officer fired at the woman once the car had run over an officer's foot."
They went to the driver's side of the vehicle and struggled with her to keep her from driving away...so apparently (and reportedly had a foot run over, not leg, no mention of being dragged.)one of the police officers put his foot in the path of the vehicle,(or the woman swerved to run over his foot..nah) on the driver's side of the vehicle, did he do that to stop her from driving away or did he remember that after she was shot dead? Close enough to get his foot run over, could he have punched her in the face or pulled her out the car? Was the window open or closed? Door locked or unlocked? Was it his left or right foot, was it the front or rear tire that ran over his foot? There were three officers there and her car was blocked 70 yards down the street by two police cars, did she have any room to get away, why were the officers cars blocking the road in front of her and when did they put them there?...In any case if his foot was run over, it appears to me she was not moving towards him but away from him. I guess she might have run over his foot again while leaving if he wasn't alert enough to get out of the way.....It will be interesting ro find out why the vehicle was stopped (and a woman killed), amazing the police don't know that yet(was PD "profiling"?)...and if there are any videos....of the 2:40 am stop...we will have to wait and see how it shakes out, might be at 2:40 am she was just drunk (high on crack?)and needed to pee real bad and just wanted to leave....on the other hand maybe she planned the whole thing to run over a police officer, reportedly she had a lengthy criminal history....and the police officer that shot her was a 2 year veteran....I'm not ready to second guess the officer, but the report had little info IMO to justify shooting someone in the chest. More info might clarify the situation...
http://www.katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=57186 deadly force Portland PD, see also from or at moving vehicle..1010.10
"A member justified in using deadly physical force, may shoot at, or from a moving vehicle if, in the totality of the situation, the additional risks are clearly outweighed by the need to use deadly physical force."
http://www.portlandpolicebureau.com/PDFs/policy.pdf
To: rolling_stone
Wow.... what are you on? Written like a speed freak or something!
34
posted on
05/05/2003 11:58:31 PM PDT
by
bluefish
Comment #35 Removed by Moderator
To: rolling_stone
Oregon???
POLICE STATE 04-May-2003 18:51
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eugene Police Illegally Raid Homes with Tank; Prompts Federal Lawsuit
link
36
posted on
05/06/2003 12:10:39 AM PDT
by
lotus
To: lotus
Looks like she was black, not enough up there to riot though, I dont believe....
Link to her picture
Seems they didn't know she was wounded till they pulled her from the car....
Maybe by tommorrow she will have shot herself. No mention of a foot but they werent sure if she was armed????
37
posted on
05/06/2003 12:16:23 AM PDT
by
lotus
To: bluefish
YO, WHAT UP? Who writes funky?
To: goodnesswins
She jumped in the car? It says she was in the back seat, she moved to the front seat and began driving away. On the face of it, there was no reason for her to be murdered, she presented no threat, I would guess she wanted to go home. As far as I am concerned, she was within her rights to leave, as she was not under arrest, and was not identified as a suspect in a crime. The problem was, the cops wanted to impound the car, make everyone present their papers, and collect the percentage of towing fees they would normally receive. I guess that is reason for cold bloodied murder nowadays.
39
posted on
05/06/2003 12:38:00 AM PDT
by
jeremiah
(Sunshine scares all of them, for they all are cockaroaches)
To: lotus
It looks like the link also has a story:
"Police believe she has a long criminal history."
Well, now that the name is out, how difficult is it to tell if she does or she doesn't have a criminal history?
Probably a probation runner and an accidental discharge, if'n you ask me.
40
posted on
05/06/2003 12:41:21 AM PDT
by
Tall_Texan
(Destroy the Elitist Democrat Guard and the Fedayeen Clinton using the smart bombs of truth!)
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