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Established
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www.portlandobserver.com
Wednesday • March 31. 2004
Committed to Cultural Diversity
Volume XXXIII • Number II
Another Deadly Traffic Stop
Kenyan Activist Wins
Environmental Prize
Wangari Maathai, founder of the
Green Belt Movement in Africa,
has been selected as the w innerof
the 2004 S ophie Prize. The
$100,0tX)prizewascreatedin 1997
by N orw egian author Jostein
G a a rd e r and his w ife, Siri
Dannevig. The prize is intended
to foster work aimed at improving
the environment and sustainable
development.
Statue of Liberty to Reopen
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-Northeast Portland
Resident NickyTaylor
The Statue of Liberty, closed im
mediately after the Sept. 11 terror
ist attacks, will reopen to the pub
lic this summer. Pledgesof$7 mil
lion in donations, including a
$ 100,000gift from Mayor Michael
Bloomberg, will finance upgrades
that were necessary at the na
tional monument before it could
, be reopened.
____ »
Lela Barnett pauses in
disbelief at the site of
Sunday's deadly traffic stop
that resulted in the death of
an unarmed black motorist in
the St. Johns neighborhood
o f north Portland. Mayor Vera
Katz said the shooting raises
legitimate questions and has
called for a public inquest in
addition to a grand jury
investigation.
Rice to Testify in
t Public Under Oath
Bowing to pressure, the White
House will allow National Secu
rity Adviser Condoleezza Rice to
testify in public under oath before
the commission investigating the
Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Presi
dent Bush and Vice President Dick
Cheney also agreed to speak with
the full panel privately.
Man Confesses After
Seeing ‘The Passion’
A 20-year-old Arizona man con
fessed to a half dozen burglaries,
saying he felt guilty after seeing
tjie movie “The Passion of the
Christ.”
Same-Sex Marriage
Loses Steam in Mass.
W ith o n ech ap terclo sed in M as
sach u setts’ gay m arriage de
bate, several new ones now
open, as gay couples look ahead
to what may be a short-lived
chance to tie the knot and law
m akers prepare for crucial N o
vem ber elections. Legislators
a p p ro v e d a c o n s titu tio n a l
am endm ent Monday that would
ban gay marriages while legaliz
ing civil unions. If passed dur
ing the next tw o-year L egisla
tive session, the measure would
go before voters in N ovem ber
2006.
Michigan Town Facing
Racial Tensions
When a 13-year-old black student
was accused of bringing a loaded
gun to school, his apparent rea
son shocked residents: he wanted
to fend off racial harassment. The
incident las, month, followed by a
similar one less than two weeks
later involving a knife, has pro
voked soul-searching about how
this bedroom community just out
side the city of Saginaw has dealt
with diversity.
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photo by
M ark W ashington /
T he P ortland O bserve
Outrage again
follows police
shooting
BY JAYMEE R . C l'TI
T he P ortland O bserver
Before deep wounds have healed between
the African-American community and the
Portland Police Bureau over the death of
Kendra James, another unarmed black mo
torist has been shot and killed by police
during a routine traffic stop.
Again, cries of public outrage and de
mands for justice are echoing through north
and northeast Portland. James Jahar Perez,
28, died Sunday after bei ng shot by a police
officer in the St. Johns neighborhood of
north Portland. Perez had been pulled over
for not signaling a turn.
His death follows the May 5 shooting of
James, an unarmed black woman, who was
killed while trying to escape a traffic stop
on the North Skidmore Street 1-5 overpass.
Police Chief Derrick Foxworth and
Mayor Vera Katz are asking the community
to remain patient while it demands an
swers.
Tuesday, Katz asked District Attorney
Mike Schrunk to conduct both a public
inquest and a grand jury investigation. She
also asked Foxworth to include citizens in
the police review of the shooting. A homi
cide investigation is already underway.
Police said North Precinct Officer Jason
Sery shot Perez three times in the chest
during a struggle with a second officer,
Sean Macomber, after being pulled over for
the traffic violation shortly after 5 p.tn.
Sunday.
Foxworth said a preliminary investiga
tion of Perez and his vehicle yielded no
weapons.
Perez was driving a Mitsubishi Diamante
Careers on the Line
The backlash from allowing gay couples to marry
has been especially fierce for County Chair Diane Linn
and Commissioner Lisa Naito, who have been targeted
fora recall.
Naito faces reelection
along with Rojode Steffey,
with a primary election just
by J aymee R . C u n
six weeks away.
T he P ortland O bserver
Jo h n n y B elg ard e, a
M ultn o m ah C ounty
C hristian Coalition em
Commissioners say they
ployee, filed the recall peti
followed the letter of the
tion underthe organization.
Oregon Constitution when
Committee to Recall Diane
they granted marriage li
Linn and Lisa Naito. He did
censes to same-sex couples
not return calls for com
earl ier th i s month. They say
ment.
their action was sparked by
According to Cruz, the
threats o f discrimination
recall has no teeth.
lawsuits by both gay rights
“I think they’re going to
organizations and individu
a ls.
have a hard time collecting
the signatures required,”
Since then, critics have
she said, in support of her
been as loud and severe as
colleagues.
supporters.
About the recall and
Commissioners say they
upcoming reelection she
see same-sex marriage li
faces in May, Rojo de
censes as an issue of civil
Steffey said, “I stand on my
rights, and that withhold
record. I have many accom
ing them is unlawful dis
plishments that have sup
crimination.
photo by J aymee R . C i ti /
ported
our economy, our
“We should all be af
T he P ortland O bsery er
children and seniorcitizens,
forded equal rights. It's as Multnomah County Commissioner Maria Rojo
and 1 think that’s going to
sim p le as th a t,” said
de Steffey upholds her support for equality in
carry me.”
Multnomah County Com the treatment of gay couples who want the
Cruz was rattled, how
missioner Maria Rojo de protections and benefits o f marriage.
Steffey, a, a fundraiser for
ever, by threatening phone
her upcoming reelection campaign.
messages.
Both Cruz and Naito received death threats on their
Commissioner Serena Cruz added, “Why should my
husband and I have access to privileges, rights and voicemails on March 10, seven days after gay couples
responsibilities that other families in this community
continued
on page AS
don't have access to?”
Commissioners brave
recall, death threats over
gay marriage
i
when he was pulled over outside of City
Food Market on North Fessenden Street at
Burr Avenue. Police said he failed to produce
a driver’s license or identification.
At a news briefing on Monday afternoon,
few questions were answered about events
leading up to his death, including what
prompted Sery to use deadly force.
Police officers in Oregon can legally use
deadly force if they reasonably believe their
life is in danger.
Foxworth met separately with Perez's fam
ily, the mayor, leaders in the religious com
munity and the media, but said few details
continued
on page A2
Sticker Shock
at the
Pump
This Chevron
station on
Martin Luther
King Boulevard
featured one of
the highest
prices in north
east Portland,
with supreme
unleaded gas
priced at well
above $2 per
gallon. Analysts
say there is
little chance
that gas prices,
which have
reached a
record high, will
fall significantly
in the near
future because
of higher de
mand and
tighter supplies.
M ark
W ashington /T he
P ortland O b
photo by
server