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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 16, 2001)
Page A2 May 16, 2001 Che |JUuUauö (Obeemer i Police News/Vancouver Bush on Guns: Hire More Prosecutors PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Presi dent Bush unveiled a new initiative to combat gun violence Monday, pledg ing an “unprecedented partnership” between federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. “It will send an unmistakable mes sage: If you use a gun illegally, you will do hard time,” Bush said. Bush used National Police Week to renew his call for tougher enforce ment o f existing gun laws, and said his "Project Safe Neighborhoods” would accomplish that. The two-year, $550 m illion effort will help pay for the hiring o f new federal and state prosecutors, with U.S. attorneys in all regions o f the country heading “strategic partner ships" on gun violence with area law enforcement, said Attorney General John Ashcroft. The federal and local authorities will work together to review and pre pare gun cases for prosecution, and map out ways to prevent firearms violence, he said. The administration will measure the impact o f the programs by gaug ing whether they reduced gun crimes, Ashcroft said. The president pledged to hire 113 new assistant U.S. attorneys and 600 new state and local prosecutors to handle gun cases; $44 million to im prove criminal record-keeping so convicts cannot legally buy guns; nearly $29 million to expand ballistics testing so illegal guns and ammuni tion can be traced; $ 19 million for the Bureau o f Alcohol, Tobacco and Fire arms for a youth gun interdiction initiative. Bush said that between 1989 and 1999, the violent crime rate dropped 20 percent. "That’s a huge accomplishment. It really is,” he said, with police offic ers standing beside him. “But unfortunately, American so ciety is still far too violent,” he said, pointing to 12,658murdersinAmerica in 1999, two-thirds o f which he said were shooting deaths. Win a m illion SkyM iles. F ly everyw here. Forget how to drive. Four Killed After Collision (AP) — Four people were killed when a small pickup collided head-on with a semi-truck near Portland Inter national Airport were all farmworkers who lived and worked nearby, police said. The pickup driver passed another vehicle in a no-passing zone and was in the oncoming lane when collision occurred about 9 p.m. Sunday, said Lt. Mike Hefley, a Portland police spokesman. The small truck was caught under the semi’s front axle, and both ve hicles erupted in flames, Hefley said. The pickup driver was identified Monday as Isidro Santillan Chavez, 29, an employee ofRossi Farms. His passengers w ere A lalos M isael Garcia, 18; Rogelio Ceja Adrian, 42; and his son, Jose Antonio Adrian Garcia, 18. All three lived and worked at Garre Farms. Police said toxicology tests would be conducted on the driver o f the pickup to determine if drugs or alco hol were involved. The driver o f the semi-truck, A Ivin Earl Hill, 40, o f Moses Lake, Wash., was in serious condition at Legacy Emanuel Hospital. Clinton Brother Targeted by Police T O R R A N C E , C a lif. (A P )— T ap e re c o rd in g s in d ic a te th a t f o r m e r P r e s id e n t C l i n t o n ’s b rother, R oger, w as illeg ally ta r geted by o fficers w ho arrested him on charges o f drunken d riv ing and d istu rb in g the peace, his law yer told a ju d g e M onday. C linton, 44, w as arrested Feb. 21 in H erm osa Beach. Police said they did not know w ho he was w h en he w as p u lle d o v e r fo r erratic driving. C linton w as not present M on day as attorney M ark G eragos entered an innocent plea. A hear ing w as set for June 26. G eragos said an audiotape he acquired from another police d e partm ent show s H erm osa Beach o ffic e rs d iscu ssin g C linton 90 m inutes before the arrest. G eragos w ould not release the tape to the m edia but told report- ers it show s officers saying; “T here he goes, do you recog nize him ?” “ D oes he have Secret S ervice, protection?” “N o, but his brother sure does.” C linton has been free on his ow n recognizance. I f co n victed, he could face a year in ja il and a $2,000 fine. He was a r rested less than a m onth after his older brother pardoned him for a 1985 drug offense. Crime Stoppers Double Murder Unsolved Portland police, in coopera tion with Crime Stoppers, are asking for your help in identi fying and apprehending the person or persons responsible for a double homicide. Just after midnight on Sun day, April 15, a security of ficer found a car in the parking lot o f the former Eastgate The ater, 2025 SE 82 Ave. The car had crashed into an em bank ment on the northwest com er o f the lot, and was found with the motor still running. Seeing someone inside, the security officer called 9-1-1 and police responded. On arrival, officers found the bodies o f two decreased individuals, later identified as 34-year-old Ramona L. McGee, and 44-year-old Terry Lee Spencer, both of northeast Portland, inside the car. It was later determined that both sub- jects died o f gunshot wounds. Investigators would like to hear from anyone who may have information on this case. Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward o f up to $1,000 for information, reported to Crime Stoppers, which leads to an arrest in this case o f any involved felony crime, and you need not give your name. Call crime Stoppers at (503) 823- HELP. Washington County Deputies Under Fire (AP) Washington County sh eriff s deputies are under fire for training practices at the O regon National Guard base at Camp Rilea on the Oregon Coast. In a letter to W ashington County SheriffJim Spinden, Rilea commander Colonel David Lay criticized the safety practices o f the county’s SW AT team. The Guard commander said depu ties failed to get permission to use some areas o f the camp or communi cate with guard officials during exer cises. And he said deputies training in a light armored vehicle were under the influence o f alcohol when the vehicle ran over a bunch o f logs. The sh eriffs office said the driver o f the armored vehicle hadn’t been drinking, though the passengers may have been. The Guard also said sheri f f s depu ties left live rounds o f gas grenades and other lethal ammo in a place where hundreds o f high school students gathered later on. Accused Mother Plans to Use Insanity Defense Lawyers for a W ashington County woman who has pleaded not guilty to killing her nine-year- old daughter have filed a notice they plan to use insanity in her defense. Karen Lee Huster’s daughter Elisabeth disappeared in 1996. The 41 -year-old Huster claimed she was with relatives, and spent two years in prison on charges o f custodial interference. A fter being indicted for her daughter's murder, Huster fled her Tigard home in April 2000. In N o vember, she was arrested in a Los Angeles suburb after police found a m an ’s body parts in the apart m ent she was sharing with a family friend. Huster appeared in a Hillsboro court on Friday. H er trial was set for Jan. 8, 2002. The notice filed Friday also says H uster's attorneys plan to present evidence on w hether she intended to com m it murder. A defense psychiatrist will ex amine Huster in the next few weeks Prosecutors also will exam ine her. So where’s the free? /f’s a t Washington M utual. Where free checking means exactly that. No hidden fees or service charges. No required m inim um balance. No m andatory m inim um deposit. No fee for cancelled checks. Free access to tellers and customer service telephone lines. Free 2 4 /7 access to your account a t our ATM's. Even a free VISA check card. 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