B lack H istory M onth .W
February 25. 2004
sp e c ta J
Page A3
c o c e ra a e .
Officer Smeared in
JurY Considers Death Sentence
A jury began hearing tes­
timony Monday and Tues­
day in the sentencing phase
o f the trial against Ladon
Stephens, the m an found
guilty in the m urder and rape
o f 14-year-old girl and in
sexual assaults in north and
northeast Portland.
Last Thursday, the jury
convicted Stephens of stran­
Poster Campaign
Foxworth calls
Copwatch tactics
divisive
gling and raping Melissa Bittler
in December 2001. The girl
was abducted from the side­
walk as she walked to school
in her n o rth e a st P o rtla n d
neighborhood.
He was also found guilty o f
a 2002 sexual assault o f an
acquaintance and three sexual
assaults o f teenage Portland
girls in 1997.
Prosecutors said DNA evi­
dence links Stephens to each
case.
But Stephens’ defense at­
torney, Bill Brennan, had ques­
tioned the legitimacy of the
case, saying there was rea­
sonable doubt about the way
DNA evidence was handled
and processed in these differ­
ent cases.
B y M ichael L eighton
T he P ortland O bserver
A cam paign to obtain a photograph o f the police
officer w ho shot and killed Kendra Jam es during a
traffic stop last May has stunned the Portland law
TALK RADIO
enforcem ent com m unity.
A group calling itself Rose C ity C opw atch claim s
with
to have distributed 300 posters in areas o f southeast
REAL
W eekdays 7 :3 0 -9 am
PEOPLE
FROM YOUR COMMUNITY
Portland offering $40 in groceries for a picture o f
officer Scott M cCollister.
T he fliers sm ear M cC ollister as an "arm ed and
dangerous killer" and call for his rem oval from the
R&B, SOUL &
W eekdays 7 - 9 p m HIP HOP
police force. The distribution coincided with his
return to duty in the Police B ureau’s Southeast Pre­
cinct after a five m onth suspension.
Portland PoliceChief Derrick Foxworth condemned
the poster cam paign as "sophom oric and divisive”
saying it did nothing to prom ote healing or strength­
Chief Derrick Foxworth
ening the partnership between the police and the
struggled inside a car during a traffic stop on the 1-5
community.
overpass on North Skidm ore Street. Police said she
“It is tim e to build
trust and increase co m ­
m unication between po­
lice and the com m unity.
not to dnve wedges o f
m istrust and contem pt,”
Foxworth said.
M a y o r V e ra K atz
called the flyers appall­
ing.
“This is a rank attempt
JAZZ, AFROTAINMENT,
HIP HOP & MORE
was trying to escape. The
i
It is time to build trust
and increase commun-
nation between police
r
and the community, not to
drive wedges o f mistrust
and contempt.
- Chief Derrick Foxworth
at intim idation o f an o f­
S aturdays 4 - 1 1 p m
car was pu 1 led over for fai 1-
ing to m ake a stop at an
intersection.
A grand ju ry cleared
O ffice : 503-231-8032
M cC ollisterof any w rong­
C all
doing, but he w as later
found to have erred in ju d g ­
p en d e d by th en p o lice
ch ief M ark Kroeker.
Advertise with diversity in
M cC ollister has never
ficer whose case was handled through the due pro­
appeared in public to apologize for his actions. His face
cess o f law. Further, the offer o f a ' prize’ o f groceries
was blocked out on videotape to protect his identity
dim inishes the m em ory o f the shooting victim ," Katz
in a police reenactm ent o f the shooting.
said.
Il!' |llnrllanb OMtserucr
Foxw orth said O regon Law prohibits any law en ­
M cC ollister shot Jam es, a 21-year-old unarm ed
African A m erican m otorist, on M ay 5 as the two
D J ! 503-231-8187
W W W .KB00.FM
C ommunity R adio
m en t an d he w as s u s ­
the
Call 5O3-288-OO33 ads@portlandobserver.com
forcem ent agency from releasing a photo o f a police
officer w ithout their perm ission.
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