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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (May 21, 2003)
Page A2 ïh e ^Jortlanh (ßbseruer M aj 21. 2003 P olice Gun Makers Cleared of Stoking Violence Jury says industry not to blame for inner city shootings handgun a month. T h e g u n in d u s- try argued that it w as unfair and un- la w fu l to h o ld m an u fa c tu re rs li able for the crim inal u se o fa sides in the case will subm it legal product. T hey also said that w ritten argum ents interpreting le g isla tu re s — not co u rts — the verdict within 30 days. The should set standards for sales ju d g e will then make the final deter N A A C P P re s id e n t K w eisi m ination on liability and remedy. M fum e said the civil rights orga T he ju ry found G lock and C olt nization w ill w ork even harder to M an u factu rin g not liable. It did for better regulation o f the sale not reach a d ecisio n on Sm ith & and distribution o f handguns. W e sso n . “O ur allies in this fight must not R ather than m onetary dam ages, sit back and accept the m ood by the law suit sought to force dis som e in C ongress w ho are too tributors to restrict sales to dealers ready to do the bidding o f the w ho have storefront outlets, pro N ational Rifle A ssociation. Now hibit sales to gun show dealers and is the tim e to step up our cam limit individual purchasers to one p aign," he said. 1 RtaMMflF (A P ) — In a victory for the gun industry, a federal jury has cleared 45 hand gun m anufacturers and distributors o f allega tions th eir m arketing practices have stoked violence in African Ameri can and H ispanic n eighbor hoods. The N A A C P law suit alleged the firearms industry knew corrupt deal ers w ere supplying their products to criminals in minor ity com m unities and did nothing to stop it. T he ju ry reached its verdict last w eek in a clo sely w atch ed case th at now go es to the ju d g e fo ra final decision. Because U.S. District Judge Jack W einstein decided the ju ry w ould play only an advisory role, both Gunfire Erupts Outside Southeast School (A P)— A fightnear an elem entary school c o u ld h av e tu rn e d deadly after a bullet fired by one o f the par- ti c ip a n t s c r a s h e d through a classroom window. The bullet struck a blind and fell to the floor, frightening 10 Montez T. Taylor children in a portable classroom at B ridger Elem entary School in so u th e a st P ortland. A s e c o n d b u lle t struck the car o f som e one involved in the M ay 13 incident, and a total o f four o r five shots w ere fired, ac cording to police. N either the bullets nor the fight caused any injuries. M ontez T. Taylor, 20, o f Port land w as arrested on charges o f attem pted assault and unlawful use o f a weapon. Police seized a.25 caliber semi autom atic pistol the next day. The fight involved roughly a dozen people from tw o groups, w ho had been fighting, Portland Police B ureau spokesm an Brian Schm autz said. Though som e w it nesses described the incident as gang-related, authorities w ould not confirm that. A fter the shots w ere fired, school officials quickly accounted for all the children and the school w as locked dow n. Som e parents, how ever, rushed to take their chil dren home. FBI Investigates Kendra Janies Shooting Death T h e F B I h a s o p e n e d a p r e c ia l a g e n t in c h a r g e o f th e s e c u r e d o r p r o t e c te d b y th e l i m i n a r y i n q u i r y i n t o t h e F B I in O r e g o n , s a id th e in C o n s ti tu t io n o r la w s o f th e s h o o t in g o f K e n d r a S. J a m e s q u ir y w ill b e a n in d e p e n d e n t U n ite d S ta te s . u p o n th e r e q u e s t o f P o r tla n d re v ie w u n d e r th e fe d e r a l c o lo r S e n te n c e s u n d e r th e law c a ll P o l i c e B u r e a u C h i e f M a rk o f la w , c iv il r i g h ts s ta tu t e s . f o r f in e s a n d im p r is o n m e n t K r o e k e r . J a m e s d ie d M a y 5 T h e la w p r o v id e s p e n a la tie s d e p e n d in g o n th e n a tu r e o f w h e n s h e tr ie d to d r iv e a w a y to law e n f o r c e m e n t o f f ic ia ls th e in j u r i e s to th e v ic tim . fr o m a tr a f f i c s to p . w h o w ill f u l ly s u b j e c t o r d e T h e r e s u lts o f th e p r e l i m i C h a r le s M a th e w s II I, s p e p r iv e a p e r s o n o f a n y r ig h ts , n a ry in q u iry , w h e n c o m p le te d . w ill b e f o r w a r d e d to th e D e p a r tm e n t o f J u s tic e f o r r e v ie w a n d d e te r m i n a ti o n as to w h e th e r a fu ll in v e s ti g a tio n s h o u ld b e c o n d u c te d . D u e to th e o n - g o in g n a tu r e o f th is in v e s ti g a ti o n , th e F B I s a id it w ill h a v e n o f u r th e r c o m m e n t. Moose Sues over Sniper Book Former Portland chief says he has right to tell his story ( A P ) - F o rm e r P o r t la n d P o l i c e C h i e f C h a r le s M o o s e w h o g a in e d c e le b rity s ta tu s d u rin g la st fa ll’s W a sh i n g t o n , D .C . a r e a s n ip e r s h o o tin g s h a s Charles Moose file d a la w s u it to w in th e rig h t to te ll h is s to ry . d e a th s , in V irg in ia , M a ry la n d , M o o se is s e e k in g an in ju n c L o u is ia n a , G e o rg ia an d th e D is tio n to b a r T h e M o n tg o m e ry tr ic t o f C o lu m b ia . T h e y w e re C o u n ty E th i c s C o m m is s io n a rr e s te d O c t. 2 4 , a n d b o th m en fro m ta k in g a n y a c tio n a g a in s t a w a it c a p ita l m u r d e r tr ia ls in h im fo r w ritin g a b o u t th e e v e n ts V irg in ia fo r tw o o f th e fa ta l s u r ro u n d in g th e s h o o tin g s . s h o o tin g s . “ A n y a tte m p t to s a n c tio n , T h e la w su it, filed in U .S . D is p ro s e c u te o r ta k e d is c ip lin a ry tr ic t C o u rt h e re , c h a rg e s th a t a c tio n a g a in s t C h i e f M o o s e M o o s e h a s b e e n d e p riv e d o f h is b a se d u p o n h im w ritin g o r p u b c o n s t i t u t i o n a l r i g h t o f fr e e lis h in g a b o o k o r w o rk in g o n a sp e e c h . T h e e th ic s p a n e l c o n s c re e n p la y w o u ld v io la te th e te n d s th a t p a rtic ip a tio n in th e F ir s t A m e n d m e n t ,” R o n A . b o o k o r m o v ie p ro je c ts w o u ld K a rp , h e a d o f M o o s e ’s leg al a llo w M o o s e to p ro fit fro m the te a m , to l d T h e A s s o c i a t e d p re s tig e o f h is o ff ic e a n d p o s P re s s . s ib ly c o m p r o m is e th e p ro s e c u A s h e a d o f th e M o n tg o m e ry tio n s . M o o s e , 4 9 , h a s b e e n o n ac^ C o u n ty p o lic e d e p a rtm e n t, M o o se h e lp e d le a d a ta s k fo rc e tiv e d u ty w ith th e D is t r ic t o f o f lo c a l, s ta te a n d fe d e ra l law C o lu m b ia A ir N a tio n a l G u a r d e n f o r c e m e n t a g e n c i e s t h a t s i n c e m i d - M a r c h . H e is a s p e n t th r e e w e e k s try in g to sto p m a jo r in a m i li ta r y p o li c e d e a ra s h o f s h o o tin g s in th e r e ta c h m e n t. g io n s u r ro u n d in g th e n a ti o n ’s D e s p ite th e e th ic s p a n e l d e c a p ita l. c is io n , he h a s c o n tin u e d w o rk S n ip e r s u s p e c ts Jo h n A lle n M u h a m m a d , 4 2 , a n d L ee B o y d M a lv o , 18, h a v e b e e n lin k e d to 2 0 s h o o t i n g s , in c l u d i n g 13 on th e b o o k c o m m is s io n e d by D u tto n P u b lis h in g ; In c ., an d h as c o m p le te d m o re th a n se v e n c h a p te r s . CRIME STOPPERS ifc e s e c »»ingeq (503) 823 HELP 111 S.W. 2nd Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97204 £*hik s 0,1 s u m ir é ' Identities Sought for Protesting Pair PPfSfHTfD £>T MEIER & FRANK P o rtla n d P o lic e and M ultnom ah C ounty Prosecutors, in cooperation w ith C rim e Stop pers, are asking for the public’s help in establishing the true iden tities o f tw o people arrested dur ing recent protest d em onstra tions. Both the man and w om an had no identification and refused to give a name when they w ere taken into custody. They w ere booked as “Jane” and “John D oe” and then failed to appear in court. “Jane D oe” w as arrested on M arch 21. She is a w hite fem ale w ho appears to be in her 20s, approxim ately 5 feet 3 inches tall and w eighs roughly 155 pounds with brow n hair and brow n eyes. “John D oe”, w as arrested on Police hope someone can identify the man and woman in these photographs. M arch 25. He is a w hite m ale w ho appears to be in his 20s, approxi m ately 6 feet 1 inch tall and w eighs roughly 185 pounds w ith brow n hair and blue eyes. Police said there is a possibil ity the tw o m ay not be from the Portland area. summer b u tte rfly e x h ib it ■ Q P f t r iD o p t n i n o Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward o f up to S I.000fo r information, reported to Crime Stoppers, that leads to the true identities o f the individuals and you need not give your name. Call Crime Stoppers at 503-823-HELP (4357), or visit Crime Stoppers on the website at www.portlandpolicebureau.coin. SATURDAY, MAY 24 • 1 0 AM - 4 PM GAMES, CRAFTS AND FUN! O R E G O N ZOO <> M E T R O www.oregonzoo.org • TAKE MAX TO THE ZOO! CALL 503-238-RIDE Guard Member Admits Racial Attacks (A P) — A n O regon N ational C o u n ty a ss ista n t d is tric t a tto r a six-m onth peacekeeping stint in G uard m em ber has pleaded guilty ney. th e S in a i P e n in s u la w ith th e to assault and intim idation charges A third suspect, 21-year-old A shland-based 1st Battalion, 186th for what police called racially m oti C h a d w ic k J a m e s R itc h ie , o f Infantry. vated attacks on an Indian-born M edford, com m itted suicide in a Patterson faces trial July 22 on motel clerk and a hom eless man in restaurant parking lot as police charges o f intim idation, k idnapping Medford. sought the trio. and burglary, and five counts o f A aron A. St. Jam es, 26, also St. Jam es confessed to beating assault in the attacks. He is being ag reed to te stify a g ain st his c o Francis J. Zimny, 51, near M edford's held in Jackson C ounty Jail on d e fe n d a n t. H e w o n ’t be s e n G ospel R escue M ission on Jan. 29 $300.000bail. ten ce d , and th ree o th e r ch arg es and later intim idating N ayur Patel, Police said the three referred to w ill not be d ro p p ed , until he te s 24, aclerk at the Sis-Q -M otel a few their attacks as "m issions,” pro tifies ag ain st his co -d efen d an t, blocks away. claim ed w hite suprem acy to som e A ndrew L. P atterson, 23, o f Eagle The attacks occurred less than a victim s and declared their intention Point, said B eth H eckert, Jackson w eek after St. Jam es returned from to “clean up" M edford. Advertise with diversity in The Portland Observer call 5O3.38X.OO33 or email: ads(a>portlandobserver.com