Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (March 20, 2002)
March 20, 2002 Page A2 ortlauò Ûpbseruer P olice / V ancouver Former Radical Gets Life for Slaying Deputy in Shootout Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin (A P ) — R e je c tin g th e prosecu tio n ’s call for a death sentence, a ju ry in A tlanta, Ga. sentenced the form er ’60s radi cal known as H. Rap Brown to life in prison for killing a sheriff” s deputy in a shootout tw o years ago. The jury deliberated for about five hours March 13 before decid ing to spare the life o f the Muslim cleric now called Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin. He will not have a chance at parole. A l-A m in, w earing the robes and hat o f a cleric, showed no em otion when the sentence was read. Al-Amin was convicted ofkill- ing Deputy Ricky Kinchen as the officer tried to serve him with an arrest warrant. A nother deputy was w ounded, but sur vived and identified Al-Amin as the gunman. A l-A m in leads one o f the nation’s largest black Muslim groups, the National Ummah. The movement, which has formed 36 mosques around the nation, is credited with revitalizing poverty- stricken pockets such as Atlanta’s West End, where he owned a gro cery store. Defense attorneys had pleaded with the jury to spare Al-Amin, who was described by character witnesses as a peaceful religious leader. P rosecutors portrayed Al- Amin as a deliberate killer who deprived a family o f a husband, son and father. Arrests Follow Bank Robbery (A P) — Three men were arrested last week after an at tempted armed bank robbery turned into a four-hour stand off in downtown Portland. The standoff ended March 12 w hen police arrested an armed suspect who had barri caded him self inside a 24-story apartment complex. A su sp e c te d a cco m p lice was arrested ju st inside the apartm ent building shortly after the alleged heist, police said. A third man, who was in the eighth- floor apartm ent with the armed su sp ect, also surrendered to police. Tw o 9-mm rounds were fired during the robbery at a W ells Fargo bank on Portland’s busy Fifth A venue, but no one was injured. Police said no hostages were involved in the standoff. The incident began at 2:15 p.m., when the gunman w ear ing a ski m ask entered the bank, told everyone to stand behind the teller’s counter and demanded money, said Beth A nne Steele, spokesw om an for the FBI in Portland. T h e g u n m a n fire d tw o shots after seeing m ovem ent near the door, she said, but nobody was hurt. Downtown Murder Suspect Arrested in California (A P) - A fter a day on the loose, a suspect in the shoot ing death o f a man on a dow n town street was arrested in N orthern California. R obert E. H einz, 34, o f B eaverton, was captured at about 6:30 p.m. M arch 12 follow ing a chase, said Sgt. Brian Schm autz, a Portland police spokesman. H einz had w recked his car and was found nearby in the bushes, according to Hum bolt C ounty sh eriff’s Sgt. M ichael Thom as. The suspect held a gun to his head and threatened to shoot him self, but deputies persuaded him to surrender, he said. The w arrant for H einz had been issued earlier in the day. It alleged that he shot Richard Ballantine at close range and casually w alked aw ay before being chased by a crow d near Pioneer C ourthouse Square ju st before noon on M arch 11. B a lla n tin e , 42, died at a h o sp ita l a fte r te llin g w it nesses that he knew the su s pect, and the su sp ect w anted X anax, a tra n q u iliz e r used for a n x ie ty d isorders. Robert E. Heinz Marine Drive Rape Suspect Wanted Portland police are looking for a man accused o f raping a w om an in a secluded area near N o rth e a st 125th and M arine Drive. The alleged crim e occurred Feb. 27 at about 8 p.m. The 28-year-old victim appar ently was driving in the area o f N ortheast 122nd and Inverness when her car stalled. As she was attem pting to restart the vehicle, a male opened the unlocked pas senger door and arm ed with a knife ordered her to drive to the secluded area w here a robbery and sexual assault occurred, police said. The suspect is described as an unkem pt w hite m ale in his late 30s or early 40s, 5 foot 9 inches tall, w ith a thin build, w aist length brow n stringy hair, with a cut or infected sore on the left side o f his upper lip. The knife used in the attack is described as a survival type weapon with a silver blade. D e tectives believe the suspect may be a transient w ho fre quented the area o f the MAX station at 122nd and Burnside. Anyone with inform ation in this investigation is asked to call either D etective W ayne Svilarat 503-823-0873 orCriine Stoppers at 503-823-HELP. Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward o f $1,000 for A composite drawing shows the suspect in a rape at Northeast 12 5 th and Marine Drive. y information reported to Crime . Stoppers that leads to an arrest in this case or any unsolved felony crime, and callers can remain totally anonymous. Portland Auto Theft Tasky Force Hunts Suspect / The Portland Police Bureau’s Auto Theft Task Force, in coop eration with Crime Stoppers, is asking for your help in locating and a p p re h e n d in g G a b rie l “Gabe” Bogdan. A felony warrant charges Bogdan with unauthorized use o f a motor vehicle. In addition, detectives w ant to question Bogdan in connection with a number o f stolen vehicles. Bogdan is a 25-year-old white male with a date ofbirth o f April 1,1976. He is 5 foot 8 inches tall and weighs 145 pounds, with brown hair, brown eyes, and glasses. Police say he has friends and associates throughout Portland and Vancouver and is believed to be in the area. Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward o f up to $1,000 Gabe Bogdan for information, reported to Crime Stoppers, which leads to an arrest in this case, or any unsolved felony crime, and you need not give your name. Call Crime Stoppers at 503-823- HELP. Woman Jailed After Meth Falls Out of Pocket in Court If someone you know is playing out of control, call the Problem Gambling Help Line: 1-877-2-STOP-NOW Licensed treatment providers are there to listen, help and make referrals to local treatment centers 24 hours a day. on to www.oregonlotteryhelp.org for: ■ Warning Signs ■ Treatment Centers ■ How to Get Help ■ Reaching Out TREATM ENT IS F R E E , C O N F ID E N T IA L AND IT W ORKS. (AP) — A woman who was trying to keep her boyfriend out o f jail wound up in the slammer after a packet o f methamphet amine fell out o f her pocket, of ficials said. The episode occurred March 12 during a hearing in Clark C o u n ty S u p e rio r C o u rt in Vancouver for Randy Lee Baker, 33, accused o f failing to pay court fines. Lisa Marie Brecht, 31, o f Longview, stepped forward to tell Judge James E. Rulli that she mailed in a payment for Baker last week. “She was gesturing with her hands, which had been in her pockets, and when she took them out the baggie flew out,” court clerk Julie Brown said. “The poor defen dant, he just covered his face with his hands and shook his head.” As Brecht bent down to pick up the baggie, custody officer Albin Boyse told her to put it on the table. “The judge said to the defen dant, ' I thought you were clean and doing well, ’ and he said,' I am, and I thought she was, too,” ’ Brown said. Brecht already was wanted for failing to pay court fines for third- degree theft and driving with a suspended license. She wasjailed without bail pending a court ap pearance that could come as early as Wednesday. Ad\ crtise w ith di\ersitv in (Tlic P o r t ia n i» ( O liÇ ïrw rr call 5 0 3 .2 8 8 .0 0 3 3 I I o r e m a il: ads@portlandobserver.com
