Date Unknown
The following ten questions were asked by members of the Albina Ministerial Alliance in regards to the shooting of Kendra James.
1. When the chief [Chief Kroeker] announced the suspension of the officer involved in the shooting of Kendra James, he stated that he had concerns leading up to the shooting of Kendra James. What were those concerns?
Chief Mark Kroeker stated in media interviews that though he thought the officer involved did not shoot Kendra James out of malice or bias, and the shooting was ruled justified, there were tactical errors that were made by the officer that led up to the shooting. It was because of those tactical decisions that Chief Kroeker felt it necessary to discipline the officer involved.
2. Why did the officer feel his life was threatened?
Through statements and demonstrations, Officer McCollister told investigating detectives that he was falling backwards out of the car and believed he was going to fall out of the car and either be run over or dragged on the street by the car, which could result in his injury or death.
3. There were two less lethal weapons used on Kendra James, pepper spray and a Taser. Was there an equipment failure or were they not properly used?
The investigation determined that the Taser deployed, but the Taser probes contacted Ms. James' clothing, but not her skin, not allowing for the desired effect.
As to the pepper spray, the Police Bureau was able to conclude that Officer McCollister did pull the canister from his belt. Investigators are able to conclude from tests that Officer McCollister's pepper spray canister was operating correctly. Forensics examination determined that no evidence of pepper spray existed inside of the car. Investigators were unable to conclusively determine whether or not Officer McCollister's thumb depressed the discharge button.
4. What is the training procedure regarding leaving a suspect and keys in a car?
The issue of leaving suspects and keys in a vehicle is covered in three lesson plans: unknown risk traffic stops, in and out of vehicles and high-risk stops.
In the lesson plan titled Unknown Risk Stops, the officer is trained to request that the violator remain in the car and to have the person shut off the car's motor. There is no mention of taking the keys from the violator.
In the lesson plan titled In and Out of Vehicles, there are two parts: one in which the person is cooperative and following instruction and one where the person is failing to follow verbal instructions. If the subject is cooperative, the officer asks the person to step out of the car then takes control of the person using the minimum custody hold. If the person does not follow the officer's verbal instruction to step out of the car, the officer uses a verbal distraction to direct the subject's attention way from the officer's action of opening the car door. The officer then directs the person to place both hands onto the steering wheel. The officer takes control of the person's left arm and escorts him/her out of the car using either a san kayjo or an arm bar. Once the subject is under the control of the officer, key removal is done by the subject at the direction of the officer.
In the training of High-Risk Traffic Stops, (note: the Kendra James incident was not considered to be a high-risk stop), the driver of the suspect car is ordered out of the car at gunpoint and is instructed to remove the keys from the vehicle and to hold them in his/her hand. The subject is then instructed to walk backwards to a point where officers can take physical custody of the person and retrieve the keys to the vehicle. A High-Risk Traffic Stop is performed when the officers know prior to stopping the vehicle that the occupants of the vehicle are wanted for a serious crime or there is information that leads officers to believe they or citizens are at greater risk of danger.
5. Is there a policy prohibiting a Police Officer involved in a shooting from communicating with other officers involved prior to an investigation?
Bureau Directive 1010.10 states: "The member will be provided time to discuss the incident with his/her immediate supervisor and/or RU Manager, union representative and private attorney. The member will avoid extensive discussion of the incident with anyone involved in the incident prior to being interviewed by a detective or supervisor."
Detective Division protocol now requires that a written communication restriction be issued to those members who either used deadly physical force, were involved in an in-custody death, witnessed the incident or when in the opinion of the Detective Division command, such a restriction is necessary to preserve the integrity of the investigation.
6. What is the City's medical liability for a police-shooting victim? What is the amount of the medical liability?
The city is self-insured and each case is handled individually. There is no set amount.
7. Why didn't the police just let her go and get her later, they knew her?
In many ways, this is a difficult question to answer because it requires the Bureau to speculate what the officers were thinking at the time of this incident. However, there is information from the investigation that is helpful in answering this question.
Officers Bean, McCollister and Reynolds were authorized by law to arrest Kendra James for a warrant listed in her name. It appears from the investigation of this incident that the actions of Kendra James were unexpected. The officers did not anticipate Kendra James to jump from the back passenger seat to the front driver's seat of the rental car at the time of the traffic stop. Initially, the occupants of the car did not give any indication that they were a threat to the police officers. According to the investigation, the officers believed that they were in control of the traffic stop. Terrol White, the driver of the rental car, said he turned the car off and he was later removed from the car, placed into custody and seated in the back seat of a patrol car for safekeeping. Terrol White was cooperative, he was arrested and placed into custody without incident.
Once it was fully understood by the officers that all the subjects in the rental car were going to be placed into custody, they did not have any immediate concerns that the suspects would be uncooperative. The rental car was turned off. Darnell White was sitting in the passenger front seat and Kendra James was sitting in the rear passenger seat without immediate access to the driver's area. Additionally, there were three officers at the scene surrounding the car and the occupants. There was no belief of possible escape by the occupants of the rental car. Officer Bean stated in his interview: "Yeah, that was actually my whole intention, was to make it known to her that this was real and that we had her trapped, basically. We had officers on the other side, I was there, she had no means of escape, so she just needed to give up and comply with our request." The officers attempted a low-key approach, not rushing Kendra James or immediately using physical force to remove her from the rental car.
It was not until Kendra James unexpectedly jumped into the driver's seat that the officers realized the predicament they were faced with. Officer McCollister attempted to prevent the escape of Kendra James. Officer McCollister unsuccessfully deployed his aerosol restraint and the application of the hair hold against Kendra James was also unsuccessful. Officer Reynolds unsuccessfully deployed the Taser. The actions of Officer McCollister occurred before Kendra James actually put the rental car into gear and began to drive forward. It was his belief that he would be able to physically control Kendra James and prevent her from escaping. It appears the actions of Officer Reynolds occurred just before the rental car began to move forward.
It also appears that there was never the intention of any of the officers present to use deadly force against Kendra James. In short, attempts were made to place Kendra James into custody because those officers present believed it could successfully be accomplished. It was only after Officer McCollister was caught inside the moving rental car that he believed his life was threatened and he used deadly physical force against Kendra James.
8. Is it Police Department policy to handcuff and leave a person unattended after being shot by a police officer?
Post shooting training instructs the officer to first challenge the shot person from a position of cover telling him/her to put his/her hands out, cross his/her feet and put his/her nose on the ground. If the person is capable of following instructions, he/she may be ordered to move to a position that gives the officers a tactical advantage from which they can take control of the person. The next step is to handcuff the person using a team that includes armed cover and one or two officers to take physical control of the person. Once cuffed, the person is searched then placed on his/her side with the lower leg pulled up to prevent the person from rolling onto his/her stomach (positional asphyxia). Additionally, training instructs the officer to call for medical to respond to the scene and to stand by with the subject until medical help arrives.
9. Did any of the officers involved in the shooting leave the shooting scene prior to being relieved by a superior officer? What is the policy regarding an officer involved in a shooting leaving a shooting scene, prior to being relieved by a superior officer?
Yes, Officer Reynolds left the scene after the shooting and after the arrival of assisting officers and an on-scene supervisor. Officer Reynolds stated the reason for leaving the crime scene was that he needed to use the bathroom. Officer Reynolds was taken to Northeast Precinct and driven back to the crime scene. The officers involved did not notify a supervisor or any other officer they left the scene.
In later interviews, arriving officers stated that it appeared Officer Reynolds was traumatized by the incident. Officer Endicott, who accompanied him, also felt that Officer Reynolds appeared traumatized and believed that he was assisting Officer Reynolds by allowing him to use a restroom.
However, Officers Reynolds failed to remain at the scene and failed to notify a supervisor of his actions. These actions are in violation of Directive 1010.10, allowing a bureau member involved in a deadly force encounter to drive a vehicle immediately after the incident. It also states that the involved member and witness officers will remain at the scene until released by a supervisor and a detective must approve the release. While it is clear that no detective was available at the time Officer Endicott and Reynolds left the crime scene, supervisor approval was required.
10. If nothing was done wrong in the shooting of Kendra James, can we expect more of the same in the future? If not, why?
No one in the Portland Police Bureau wants to be involved in a shooting but each day our officers contact potentiality violent offenders. That being said, the Portland Police Bureau will continue to research and explore new options for less lethal control of violent or aggressive suspects. The Taser is one example of use of technology to decrease the need for deadly force. In both 2001 and 2002, the Police Bureau had eight applications of deadly force. Since full implementation of the Taser in 2003, this year to date, the Bureau has had only 2 applications of deadly force. In addition to the Taser, the Bureau has trained more than 200 Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) officers who successfully diffuse violent situations on a daily basis.
In addition, the Bureau and citizen volunteers are currently evaluating directives, training and investigative issues in regards to use of force. This community and police effort-the Community Police Organizational Review Team-CPORT-has been meeting and analyzing Portland Police Bureau policies as well as others from other law enforcement agencies. The Portland Police Bureau fully supported and cooperated with the research conducted by the Police Assessment Resource Center (PARC). The final product is a report which takes a comprehensive look at officer-involved shootings and in-custody deaths from 1997 to June 30, 2000, and includes many recommended changes to Police Bureau policy and procedures.
The Bureau is currently evaluating the PARC recommendations and will be implementing many of them as soon as possible.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
What Happened to Kendra James
Kendra James was shot and killed by Portland Police officer Scott McCollister in 2003 during a routine traffic stop.
Over the next few months we will create a complete site of all articles and documents publicly available about what happened to Kendra James.
When the site is finished, you will can learn what happened to Kendra James at our web site - What Happened to Kendra James.
This site is created and presented by the Mental Health Association of Portland.
Over the next few months we will create a complete site of all articles and documents publicly available about what happened to Kendra James.
When the site is finished, you will can learn what happened to Kendra James at our web site - What Happened to Kendra James.
This site is created and presented by the Mental Health Association of Portland.
Friday, August 17, 2007
Potter fires cop, citing 10 mistakes
From The Oregonian
Mayor Tom Potter, a retired cop who knows what it's like to make split-second life-or-death decisions, fired a Portland Police lieutenant Thursday for a series of questionable choices that led to the Jan. 4, 2006, shooting of a suspicious driver --not necessarily for the shooting itself.
Potter demanded Lt. Jeffrey Kaer's badge despite the advice of Chief Rosie Sizer and the 17-year veteran's own emotional plea for his job during a July 30 meeting with the mayor.
At that sit-down, the officer known to colleagues as "Kaer Bear" reminded the mayor that he has spent his career winning commendations and doing exactly the kind of neighborhood-based police work Potter loves. A union lawyer also reminded the mayor that there's a good chance a state arbitrator will give Kaer his job back.
But in a sternly worded termination letter, Potter listed 10 separate points at which he believes Kaer either violated Police Bureau policy or policing common sense. They all came before Kaer fired his 9mm Glock pistol.
"Make no mistake, every police officer has the right and the duty to protect themselves and the community," Potter said. "But no officer should put themselves in that position by repeatedly ignoring bureau policy and exercising poor judgment."
Kaer, 45, joined the Portland Police Bureau in April 1990. In that private meeting with the mayor, he described how two incidents from his North Portland childhood inspired him to become a police officer.
When he was 6, a drunk pounded on his family's front door. His mother, a slight woman home alone with four kids, called police but was told there were no officers available to help. The man eventually wandered away.
Several years later, Kaer's younger brother was the victim of what he described only as "a heinous crime." Police officers arrested the man responsible and forced him out of their neighborhood.
"I knew what it was like not to have police come when you needed help. I knew what it was like when you needed help and they were there," he told Potter, according to a transcript of what's known as a "due process" meeting. "I made my decision then and there that I wanted to be a Portland police officer. I wanted to be there when somebody needed help."
Before the shooting, Kaer was a model officer, according to police records. He was promoted to sergeant in 1998, and to lieutenant in 2003. At various times, he worked in North, Central, Northeast, East and Southeast precincts.
He was the night shift commander in Southeast Precinct on Jan. 4, 2006, when he received a 2:15 a.m. call from his sister. Brenda Kotsovos had noticed a strange car parked at a 45-degree angle in front of her home on Northeast 64th Avenue, south of Alameda Street.
Two months earlier, her son was shot in the face during a road rage incident. The suspect had been identified but not arrested. As a result, she was on the lookout for anything odd in the neighborhood, and emergency dispatchers had flagged her address so that several cars would respond to any 9-1-1 call.
Kotsovos later told investigators that she didn't see any reason for several officers to investigate what might be nothing. So she called her brother rather than 9-1-1, and he opted to check the car out himself, despite the fact his sister lived in East Precinct.
That, Potter says, was Kaer's first mistake.
Called for backup
When Kaer arrived at the scene, he radioed in with his location and asked for backup. But he did not ask dispatchers to run the license number of the oddly parked 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass, nor did he offer any details about what he found at the scene. Those were mistakes two and three. Had he run the license plate number, he would have discovered that the Cutlass was stolen.
Kaer approached the car before the second officer arrived, taking no extra care even though the engine was running and both the reverse and brake lights were on: mistakes four and five.
He assumed he was dealing with a drunken driver who had passed out --mistake six --even after he looked inside the car and saw that the driver, 28-year-old meth addict and convicted car thief Dennis Lamar Young, held a tire iron across his lap and there were tools frequently used by burglars in the seat next to him.
Kaer roused Young, who was slumped over and unconscious, and ordered him to put the car in park. When he didn't, Kaer shoved Young toward the passenger seat. He reached all the way inside the Cutlass to shift it into park himself, despite the fact that his backup officer hadn't arrived yet. Those were mistakes seven and eight.
When the second officer arrived, Kaer did not tell him what was going on --mistake nine --even as his confrontation with Young escalated. He ordered Young to turn the car off. When Young explained that he did not have the key, Kaer asked him if the Cutlass was stolen.
That, Potter says, was mistake number 10.
Instead of answering, Young suddenly reached down and put the Cutlass back into gear. The moving car hit Kaer's arm, causing him to do a 90-degree spin. It ran into a dogwood, and then reversed toward Kaer. He later told investigators that he side-stepped out of the way and, in the chaos of the moment, didn't even realize he had drawn his weapon.
"My gun was just there all of a sudden," he told the mayor. "There was no place to go. I didn't see an avenue of escape. And so I fired the two rounds because I wanted to stop him."
It was the first time he'd ever fired his pistol on duty.
One bullet blew out the driver's window. Another pierced the driver's side door. Young died from a bullet wound to the upper torso.
No criminal charges
A Multnomah County grand jury declined to press criminal charges. The Police Bureau's Use of Force Review Board ruled that the shooting was justified but that Kaer had committed several violations of bureau policy. It recommended suspending him for four weeks without pay. Police Chief Sizer seconded that suggestion.
Instead, Potter fired Kaer, who could not be reached for comment.
The decision drew grumbling from officers across the city. Kaer's union, the Portland Police Commanding Officers Association, has pledged to file a grievance.
There's a decent chance it'll succeed. City officials could not recall a single case of an officer being fired in the past 20 years who was not reinstated later by a state arbitrator.
Former Mayor Vera Katz suspended the officer who shot Kendra James during a 2003 traffic stop for almost six months without pay. An arbitrator later overturned the discipline, ruling that the bureau failed to conduct a full internal affairs investigation into the shooting. The city was ordered to pay the officer back wages and expunge the suspension.
"We are deeply, deeply disappointed in the decision and in the process," said Commander Mike Reese, speaking for the Commanding Officers union. "The person who is ultimately responsible for this being a deadly encounter was the suspect. He made the decisions that led to the loss of life. This is a tragedy, but Jeff Kaer acted in good faith."
Good faith or not, Kaer will be off the city payroll at 8 a.m. today. After that, the lawyers get involved.
Mayor Tom Potter, a retired cop who knows what it's like to make split-second life-or-death decisions, fired a Portland Police lieutenant Thursday for a series of questionable choices that led to the Jan. 4, 2006, shooting of a suspicious driver --not necessarily for the shooting itself.
Potter demanded Lt. Jeffrey Kaer's badge despite the advice of Chief Rosie Sizer and the 17-year veteran's own emotional plea for his job during a July 30 meeting with the mayor.
At that sit-down, the officer known to colleagues as "Kaer Bear" reminded the mayor that he has spent his career winning commendations and doing exactly the kind of neighborhood-based police work Potter loves. A union lawyer also reminded the mayor that there's a good chance a state arbitrator will give Kaer his job back.
But in a sternly worded termination letter, Potter listed 10 separate points at which he believes Kaer either violated Police Bureau policy or policing common sense. They all came before Kaer fired his 9mm Glock pistol.
"Make no mistake, every police officer has the right and the duty to protect themselves and the community," Potter said. "But no officer should put themselves in that position by repeatedly ignoring bureau policy and exercising poor judgment."
Kaer, 45, joined the Portland Police Bureau in April 1990. In that private meeting with the mayor, he described how two incidents from his North Portland childhood inspired him to become a police officer.
When he was 6, a drunk pounded on his family's front door. His mother, a slight woman home alone with four kids, called police but was told there were no officers available to help. The man eventually wandered away.
Several years later, Kaer's younger brother was the victim of what he described only as "a heinous crime." Police officers arrested the man responsible and forced him out of their neighborhood.
"I knew what it was like not to have police come when you needed help. I knew what it was like when you needed help and they were there," he told Potter, according to a transcript of what's known as a "due process" meeting. "I made my decision then and there that I wanted to be a Portland police officer. I wanted to be there when somebody needed help."
Before the shooting, Kaer was a model officer, according to police records. He was promoted to sergeant in 1998, and to lieutenant in 2003. At various times, he worked in North, Central, Northeast, East and Southeast precincts.
He was the night shift commander in Southeast Precinct on Jan. 4, 2006, when he received a 2:15 a.m. call from his sister. Brenda Kotsovos had noticed a strange car parked at a 45-degree angle in front of her home on Northeast 64th Avenue, south of Alameda Street.
Two months earlier, her son was shot in the face during a road rage incident. The suspect had been identified but not arrested. As a result, she was on the lookout for anything odd in the neighborhood, and emergency dispatchers had flagged her address so that several cars would respond to any 9-1-1 call.
Kotsovos later told investigators that she didn't see any reason for several officers to investigate what might be nothing. So she called her brother rather than 9-1-1, and he opted to check the car out himself, despite the fact his sister lived in East Precinct.
That, Potter says, was Kaer's first mistake.
Called for backup
When Kaer arrived at the scene, he radioed in with his location and asked for backup. But he did not ask dispatchers to run the license number of the oddly parked 1985 Oldsmobile Cutlass, nor did he offer any details about what he found at the scene. Those were mistakes two and three. Had he run the license plate number, he would have discovered that the Cutlass was stolen.
Kaer approached the car before the second officer arrived, taking no extra care even though the engine was running and both the reverse and brake lights were on: mistakes four and five.
He assumed he was dealing with a drunken driver who had passed out --mistake six --even after he looked inside the car and saw that the driver, 28-year-old meth addict and convicted car thief Dennis Lamar Young, held a tire iron across his lap and there were tools frequently used by burglars in the seat next to him.
Kaer roused Young, who was slumped over and unconscious, and ordered him to put the car in park. When he didn't, Kaer shoved Young toward the passenger seat. He reached all the way inside the Cutlass to shift it into park himself, despite the fact that his backup officer hadn't arrived yet. Those were mistakes seven and eight.
When the second officer arrived, Kaer did not tell him what was going on --mistake nine --even as his confrontation with Young escalated. He ordered Young to turn the car off. When Young explained that he did not have the key, Kaer asked him if the Cutlass was stolen.
That, Potter says, was mistake number 10.
Instead of answering, Young suddenly reached down and put the Cutlass back into gear. The moving car hit Kaer's arm, causing him to do a 90-degree spin. It ran into a dogwood, and then reversed toward Kaer. He later told investigators that he side-stepped out of the way and, in the chaos of the moment, didn't even realize he had drawn his weapon.
"My gun was just there all of a sudden," he told the mayor. "There was no place to go. I didn't see an avenue of escape. And so I fired the two rounds because I wanted to stop him."
It was the first time he'd ever fired his pistol on duty.
One bullet blew out the driver's window. Another pierced the driver's side door. Young died from a bullet wound to the upper torso.
No criminal charges
A Multnomah County grand jury declined to press criminal charges. The Police Bureau's Use of Force Review Board ruled that the shooting was justified but that Kaer had committed several violations of bureau policy. It recommended suspending him for four weeks without pay. Police Chief Sizer seconded that suggestion.
Instead, Potter fired Kaer, who could not be reached for comment.
The decision drew grumbling from officers across the city. Kaer's union, the Portland Police Commanding Officers Association, has pledged to file a grievance.
There's a decent chance it'll succeed. City officials could not recall a single case of an officer being fired in the past 20 years who was not reinstated later by a state arbitrator.
Former Mayor Vera Katz suspended the officer who shot Kendra James during a 2003 traffic stop for almost six months without pay. An arbitrator later overturned the discipline, ruling that the bureau failed to conduct a full internal affairs investigation into the shooting. The city was ordered to pay the officer back wages and expunge the suspension.
"We are deeply, deeply disappointed in the decision and in the process," said Commander Mike Reese, speaking for the Commanding Officers union. "The person who is ultimately responsible for this being a deadly encounter was the suspect. He made the decisions that led to the loss of life. This is a tragedy, but Jeff Kaer acted in good faith."
Good faith or not, Kaer will be off the city payroll at 8 a.m. today. After that, the lawyers get involved.
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Duin ignorant about police
from The Oregonian
As a police officer in Portland, one of the most difficult experiences I regularly expose myself to is reading Steve Duin's columns. Virtually every sentence he writes concerning law enforcement shrieks with his uniquely buffoonish style of ignorance.
Seldom, however, does he expose his lack of understanding as eloquently as near the end of Tuesday's thinly veiled stab at police ("Staying cool when the heat is on"), when he contrasts his magnanimous approval of Rob Wullbrandt's decision to not return fire against his assailant with what other police officers may think.
It is profoundly difficult for me to imagine any police officer questioning that decision, and I certainly haven't heard any [second-guessing] within the bureau. Duin's implication that there are officers in the bureau who think that Wullbrandt should have fired appears based on nothing more than his prejudice.
Every cop realizes that some day, he or she will be faced with a life-or-death decision based on little information and affected by physical, emotional and mental stresses. Their performance in that crucible may end up defining (or even ending) the lives of many, including themselves.
Duin's vantage point on the split second in which Wullbrandt decided not to fire back encompasses the greater context of Portland police, violence and Kendra James. The police officer's view of the same situation is both much narrower in scope and infinitely deeper in complexity.
JOSEPH SHARPE
Officer, Portland Police Bureau
North Precinct
North Portland
As a police officer in Portland, one of the most difficult experiences I regularly expose myself to is reading Steve Duin's columns. Virtually every sentence he writes concerning law enforcement shrieks with his uniquely buffoonish style of ignorance.
Seldom, however, does he expose his lack of understanding as eloquently as near the end of Tuesday's thinly veiled stab at police ("Staying cool when the heat is on"), when he contrasts his magnanimous approval of Rob Wullbrandt's decision to not return fire against his assailant with what other police officers may think.
It is profoundly difficult for me to imagine any police officer questioning that decision, and I certainly haven't heard any [second-guessing] within the bureau. Duin's implication that there are officers in the bureau who think that Wullbrandt should have fired appears based on nothing more than his prejudice.
Every cop realizes that some day, he or she will be faced with a life-or-death decision based on little information and affected by physical, emotional and mental stresses. Their performance in that crucible may end up defining (or even ending) the lives of many, including themselves.
Duin's vantage point on the split second in which Wullbrandt decided not to fire back encompasses the greater context of Portland police, violence and Kendra James. The police officer's view of the same situation is both much narrower in scope and infinitely deeper in complexity.
JOSEPH SHARPE
Officer, Portland Police Bureau
North Precinct
North Portland
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Staying cool when the heat is on
from The Oregonian
Both the Portland police and I have a track record. Far too often --Kendra James, James Jahar Perez and Jose Santos Victor Mejia Poot top the list --officers draw their weapons and shoot people. Far too caustically, from behind the protective shield of my computer, I criticize them for it.
That brings us to Officer Robert Wullbrandt. One break from tradition deserves another.
Eight days ago, Wullbrandt --a four-year veteran on patrol in Southeast Portland --watched a black Buick Regal make an unsafe pass in rush-hour traffic. He pulled the Buick over in the Trader Joe's parking lot at 39th Avenue and Schiller Street.
At 5:20 p.m., the grocery store parking lot was jammed with the usual array of kids, balloons, gnocchi fanatics and organic mangos. Wullbrandt, who didn't have the luxury of backup, approached the Buick, which contained three people ... one of whom, Nicholas Onuskanich, 24, lunged from the back seat and bolted toward 39th.
Onuskanich is hardly a beacon of junior achievement. He had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in court to face charges of possessing and peddling meth and cocaine. "One of the things that's ironic," said Robert King, "is the guy didn't want to go to jail. This is Multnomah County. He wouldn't have spent more than an hour in jail."
King is the head of the Portland police union. He and Wullbrandt decided, based on the aforementioned laps around the track, that Wullbrandt would not be made available to describe what happened next.
Wullbrandt set off after Onuskanich. He had almost run him down, police say, when Onuskanich pulled out a gun, whirled and fired several shots at the officer.
"I'm not sure anyone fully appreciates or understands the impact of having someone try to murder you," King said. "If someone's shooting at me, I'm inclined to shoot back. A lot."
That's the prescription of the cops' defensive training: Eliminate the lethal threat. Don't debate; react.
But Wullbrandt didn't return fire. "Due to the amount of people in the area," the police press release said. With bullets flying past his ear, Wullbrandt calmly reasoned that commuters, shoppers and joggers in the area would be better off if he didn't empty his magazine.
I don't know if that decision saved anyone's life, save, of course, for that of Mr. Onuskanich. I do know a passing motorcyclist, Greg Geist, was awarded the police bureau's Civilian Heroism Medal after he spotted Onuskanich entering an apartment in the 4000 block of Southeast Holgate and directed police to the fugitive's hiding place.
Onuskanich surrendered several hours later. He has been charged with attempted aggravated murder. And there's reason to believe he will spend more than one hour in jail.
Wullbrandt? I assume he's back on patrol. And I understand why he's not inclined to discuss what happened when a routine traffic stop turned potentially deadly. When that happens, King argued after Officer Jason Sery shot and killed James Jahar Perez, "when we have to make that ultimate split-second decision, we don't just ask for your understanding, we ask for your support."
Those are the rules. That is the code. And that's why I salute Wullbrandt, for understanding he was in a neighborhood, not on a battlefield. He just convinced me some cops understand the citizens of Oregon want the police who confront the Kendra Jameses and Lukus Glenns to accept a little more risk if that's what it takes to save a few lives.
His coolness under fire may leave other officers annoyed, waiting for the day when similar caution gets a cop killed, but it has this columnist applauding.
By Steve Duin: 503-221-8597
Both the Portland police and I have a track record. Far too often --Kendra James, James Jahar Perez and Jose Santos Victor Mejia Poot top the list --officers draw their weapons and shoot people. Far too caustically, from behind the protective shield of my computer, I criticize them for it.
That brings us to Officer Robert Wullbrandt. One break from tradition deserves another.
Eight days ago, Wullbrandt --a four-year veteran on patrol in Southeast Portland --watched a black Buick Regal make an unsafe pass in rush-hour traffic. He pulled the Buick over in the Trader Joe's parking lot at 39th Avenue and Schiller Street.
At 5:20 p.m., the grocery store parking lot was jammed with the usual array of kids, balloons, gnocchi fanatics and organic mangos. Wullbrandt, who didn't have the luxury of backup, approached the Buick, which contained three people ... one of whom, Nicholas Onuskanich, 24, lunged from the back seat and bolted toward 39th.
Onuskanich is hardly a beacon of junior achievement. He had an outstanding warrant for failure to appear in court to face charges of possessing and peddling meth and cocaine. "One of the things that's ironic," said Robert King, "is the guy didn't want to go to jail. This is Multnomah County. He wouldn't have spent more than an hour in jail."
King is the head of the Portland police union. He and Wullbrandt decided, based on the aforementioned laps around the track, that Wullbrandt would not be made available to describe what happened next.
Wullbrandt set off after Onuskanich. He had almost run him down, police say, when Onuskanich pulled out a gun, whirled and fired several shots at the officer.
"I'm not sure anyone fully appreciates or understands the impact of having someone try to murder you," King said. "If someone's shooting at me, I'm inclined to shoot back. A lot."
That's the prescription of the cops' defensive training: Eliminate the lethal threat. Don't debate; react.
But Wullbrandt didn't return fire. "Due to the amount of people in the area," the police press release said. With bullets flying past his ear, Wullbrandt calmly reasoned that commuters, shoppers and joggers in the area would be better off if he didn't empty his magazine.
I don't know if that decision saved anyone's life, save, of course, for that of Mr. Onuskanich. I do know a passing motorcyclist, Greg Geist, was awarded the police bureau's Civilian Heroism Medal after he spotted Onuskanich entering an apartment in the 4000 block of Southeast Holgate and directed police to the fugitive's hiding place.
Onuskanich surrendered several hours later. He has been charged with attempted aggravated murder. And there's reason to believe he will spend more than one hour in jail.
Wullbrandt? I assume he's back on patrol. And I understand why he's not inclined to discuss what happened when a routine traffic stop turned potentially deadly. When that happens, King argued after Officer Jason Sery shot and killed James Jahar Perez, "when we have to make that ultimate split-second decision, we don't just ask for your understanding, we ask for your support."
Those are the rules. That is the code. And that's why I salute Wullbrandt, for understanding he was in a neighborhood, not on a battlefield. He just convinced me some cops understand the citizens of Oregon want the police who confront the Kendra Jameses and Lukus Glenns to accept a little more risk if that's what it takes to save a few lives.
His coolness under fire may leave other officers annoyed, waiting for the day when similar caution gets a cop killed, but it has this columnist applauding.
By Steve Duin: 503-221-8597
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