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High Fashion in Ebony
Largest traveling fashion show to
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‘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