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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 7, 2004)
50tf High Fashion in Ebony Largest traveling fashion show to descend on Portland See Metro page, inside ‘City of Roses’ Volume XXXIII • Number 13 -.-.Weekin I T Government Warns of Bomb Plots Terrorists might try to bomb buses and rail lines in major U.S. cities this summer, according to a gov ernment bulletin issued to law enforcement officials nationwide. Travelers to U.S. Fingerprinted A program requiring foreigners to be fin g erp rin ted and p h o to graphed before entering the coun try is being expanded to include millions of travelers from some of A merica's closest allies. The As sociated Press learned Friday. The move affects citizens in 27 coun tries - including Britain, Japan and Australia - who had been allowed to travel within the United States ' without a visa for up to 90 days. Summer May Increase STDs The long sunny days of summer may increase the risk of catching a common sexually transmitted infection. Researchers using data from Holland found that detec tion of papilloma virus infection during routine cancer screening peaks d u rin g A ugust. T h eir th eo ry : S u n lig h t su p p re sse s w om en’s immune system de fenses. Viacom Wants Gay TV Network Viacom has “tightened up” its decency standards in the wak** of Janet Jackson’s racy Super Bowl performance and is in preliminary discussions to launch a gay cable network in the United States, its chairman and chief executive said. . Rice to Address 9/11 Panel N atio n al S e c u rity A d v ise r Condoleezza Rice will go before the federal panel reviewing the Sept. 11 attacks on Thursday. Rice will testify under oath for about 2 1/2 hours, with much of the ques tioning expected to focus on what outgoing Clinton officials told her about the al-Qaida threat and her response afterward. Officers Convicted In Coverup Three Miami police officers were convicted Thursday of charges that they joined a cover-up after guns were planted near the bod ies of two robbers fatally shot by police. Bank of America to Cut 12,500 Jobs Bank of America Corp., now the No. 3 bank in the country, will cut 12,500jobs - or nearly 7 percent of its 180,000-employee work force - over the nexttwoyears. Last week, it completed its $47 bi I lion merger with FleetBoston Financial Corp., creating a bank with operations stretching from North Carolina to New England to California. £3 8 Committed to Cultural Diversity Wednesday • April 07. 2004 • Pl RoorypsE sp Police officer throws obstacle to inquest by J aymf . e R . C u n * T he P ortland O bserver s wearing thin as a date for the public inquest has not yet been set and the questions that the inquest aims to address have already been answered. The fact-finding nature of a public in quest will only address who the deceased person was, when and where he died and the cause and manner of death, according to officials at the district attorney’s office. The testimony, heard by a jury of six, does not lead to criminal or civil charges. The district attorney’s office has the option to I '«/I Hopes for speedy police accountability in the death of an unarmed black motorist have collapsed as the police officer who killed James Jahar Perez files a lawsuit to block a public inquest, despite its demand by the mayor, police chief and district attorney. Police Chief Derrick Foxworth continues asking for the public’s patience as Officer Jason Sery claims an inquest would taint future grand jury proceedings. Details surrounding the shooting death Destiny Tsunani shows concern for the future o f community and police relations continued on page A2 has come to a halt as African Americans and at a rally to remember James Jahar Perez at Terry Schrunk Plaza on Sunday. the city at large, hurl and frustrated by the death of a second unarmed African Ameri can at the hands o f white police officers in less than one year, demanded justice. Hun dreds of residents gathered to demand po lice accountability Sunday during an emo tionally charged rally held at Terry Schru.ik Plaza, downtown. Still, some community leaders say that a public inquest will accomplish little, regard less of Sery’s refusal to appear. “It makes no sense other than appeasing the community," said Roy Jay, director of the African American Chamber of Commerce. “A public inquest is nothing more than us watching the ‘People’s Court' and that’s not going to bring the kid back.” N o facts have been released since Foxworth held a press briefing following the shooting, stating that Sery shot Perez fol lowing a struggle with his partner after he was pulled over for failing to signal a turn. Foxworth said the officer told investigators he believed Perez had a weapon, although no weapon was found. No further information, including the tran scripts of interviews with the officers in volved, will be made available to the public- in the immediate future, according to Sgt. Cheryl Robinson, a spokeswoman for the police department. “W e've released any details that we can without damaging the integrity of the inves tigation,” she said. Tabitha Turner attends Sunday's rally to also seek justice for Kendra James, who was shot and killed by police after a But the patience of the community is routine traffic stop nearly one year ago. cJ y 'j '0 '4 Mayoral Candidates Address Police Shooting Childrens’ forum veers off course to discuss police accountability C uti T he P ortland O bserver > 00 c- S 'S S www.portlandobserver.com Justice Tested by J ay mf . e R . ly j Established in 1970 At a mayoral candidate's forum in northwest Portland, police ac countability and a need for rebuild ing ties between the cops and Af rican Americans was on the lips of politicians and participants alike. The debate sponsored by Stand for Children and the African Ameri can Chamberof Commerce, opened up a dialogue about education and a minority achievement gap be tween invited mayoral candidates Tom Potter, Commissioner Jim Francesconi, James Posey and city commissioner hopefuls Nick Fish z Jim Francesconi and Sam Adams. W hen m o d e ra to r D avid Sarasohn, an “Oregonian" colum nist. accepted questions from the audience, it was impossible to keep off the topic of the recent police shooting death of Jam es Jahar Perez, the unarmed Af rican-Ameri can motorist who was pulled over culture in the police department reflects attitudes manifested in the city. “The police force reflects us and w e'veal lowed this toexist," he said. Adams, a former chief of staff to Mayor Vera Katz, proposed an au dit to the Independent Police Re view process, which has been in place for three years. “I think we have been short changing training. Are police get ting the training they need to handle these life and death decisions'.’” said Fish, a former board chairman of the Portland Housing Author James Posey Tom Potter ity. for not signaling KM) feet before a Neither African-American ac shed light on," said Francesconi, turn. tivist Wikxlrow Broadnax, nor doz who said he supports Mayor Vera Most candidates expressed sup ens of other candidates running Katz in hercall for a public inquest, port for Police C hief D errick for city commissioner, where in in addition to grand jury proceed Foxworth, and voiced a need for vited to participate in the debate. ings. He identified a need for more increased training, community po Only three of the 23 candidates diversity in the police force and licing and a more diverse police running for mayor were invited. more job opportunities for young force. people. continued ' y f on page A5 “This is something we need to According to Posey, a racist