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Multnomah County Settles Chasse Lawsuit
Man died in
violent arrest
(AP) - Multnomah County
c o m m is s io n e rs h av e a p ­
proved a $925,000 settlem ent
with relatives o f a mentally ill
man who died in police cu s­
tody.
The paym ent will be a p ar­
tial settlement of a federal law­
suit filed by the family of James
Chasse. The suit also names
the city o f Portland and Port­
land police.
C h a s s e , 4 2 , w ho had
schizophrenia, was arrested
follow ing a foot chase in the
Pearl D istrict in Septem ber
2 0 0 6 . O f f ic e r s sa id th e y
thought he had urinated out­
side and was on drugs.
In an interview with inves­
tigators a few days after the
incident, an o fficer said he
James Chasse
sh o v e d C h a sse dow n and
then fell onto the sidew alk,
past Chasse. But a video of
Besides a request for dam ­
officers talking at the jail after fered more than a dozen bro­
they brought Chasse in cap­ ken ribs, including some that ages, a law suit filed in 2007
tu re s the o f fic e r te llin g a punctured a lung and caused by a tto rn e y Tom S teenson
seeks to make changes to limit
sheriffs deputy that "we tack­ massive internal bleeding.
The death angered ad v o ­ the use o f deadly force and
led him."
The 13-minute video ends cates for the mentally ill, but a foot pursuits.
It also seeks the establish­
with police and jail sheriffs Multnomah County grand jury
deputies hauling Chasse out found no criminal wrongdoing. m ent an independent o v e r­
o f jail. C hasse, who can be
Chasse's death led Portland sig h t p a n e l fo r re v ie w in g
heard m oaning, died w hile Police C hief Rosie S izer to deaths in custody, along with
police were driving him to a make sure officers consider an in te rv e n tio n sy ste m to
h o sp ital. A cc o rd in g to a u ­ the severity of the crim e be­ m onitor officers who use ex­
cessive force.
to psy re s u lts , C h asse s u f­ fore giving chase.
MMHM
MWNMaMMM
Umoja joins Life Works NW
Group has long history addressing gang issues
Both nonprofit organizations
Portland's House of Umoja,
a group with a long history of see the move as a positive step
working on gang issues in north for the betterment of each or­
and northeast Portland, is now ganization. Their joint vision is
part of Life Works NW, a long­ built on the strong foundation
time local mental health and that Umoja has created - unit­
ing the community in combat­
addiction services provider.
The two community organi­ ing gang violence - and ex­
zations have been working to­ pands it to include an array of
additional service of­
gether for more than a
ferings that will cre­
year under a manage­
ate a stronger hub of
ment contract. Now the
recovery and promise
bo ard s o f d ire c to rs
in the com m unity.
have decided it is in the
Space w ill rem ain
best interest of Umoja
available on site for
to
m erge
w ith
community activities.
Life Works NW.
Mary Monnat
“ At L ifeW orks
“The U m oja board
performed extensive due dili­ NW, we are proud to be able to
gence and came to the conclu­ continue to provide gang pre­
sion that the best option to keep vention services that are tai­
the program viable and main­ lo red to A frican A m erican
tain a strong areay of services young men and women vulner­
to the community is for Umoja able to gang activity,” said
to b eco m e a p ro g ra m o f Mary Monnat, president and
LifeW orks NW ,” said John CEO of LifeWorks NW. “We
Kyle, former Umoja board presi­ expect that the youth served by
dent. “The new organizational Umoja will benefit from access
structure is a real opportunity to our other culturally specific
to strengthen Umoja and re­ programs and vice versa.”
The Umoja program will con­
store its long-term vitality.”
Advertise with diversity
The
tinue under the leadership of
Ebony Sloan-Clarke, LifeWorks
NW director of culturally spe­
cific services, who currently
oversees an array of culturally
specific mental health and ad­
diction services including alco­
hol and drug abuse treatment
for African Americans, mothers,
and youth; and smoking ces­
sation education to the African
American community.
Michelle Harper formerly of
the Umoja Board of Directors
jo in e d the L ifeW orks NW
Board effective July 1, 2009.
Raised in Portland, and cur­
rently Citywide Collaborative
Services Manager for Portland
Parks & Recreation, Michelle
has been a long-time commu­
nity activist in north and north­
east Portland advocating for the
needs of the African American
community.
LifeWorks NW was founded
in 1961 and promotes a healthy
community by providing qual­
ity and culturally responsive
mental health and addiction ser­
vices across the lifespan.
Green Jobs Expand
A new report paints a fairly
A green job is defined as work
optimistic picture for green that increases energy efficiency,
creates renewable energy, re­
jobs in Oregon.
The Oregon Employment duces environmental degrada­
D epartm ent surveyed em ­ tion, cleans up the environment,
ployers and found that O r­ or assists with any of these ser­
egon has 51,402 green jobs, vices.
or about 3 percent o f the
On average, the wage for a
workforce, spread across 226 green job in 2008 was $22.61 per
occupations ranging from hour. Two-thirds of the jobs
construction to retail trade.
paid $ 15 per hour or more.
Thirty two percent of green
jobs inventoried did not have
minimum education require­
ments, but the better-paying
positions required specialized
training or a college degree.
The report found that em ­
ployers anticipated green jobs
growing by 14 percent between
2008 and 2010. Most of this
growth will be in farming, fish­
ing, forestry, transportation, and
production.
Enter the
"Oregon Naturally
presented by Intel"
photo contest
Win a vacation at Brasada Ranch,
Eagle Crest or Running Y Ranch
Learn more at
www.intel.com/go/natural
in
portland Observer
J E L IE W E N
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C all
5O3-288-OO33 ads@portlandobseiver.com
Br«j H e a rt/ by Dor, Weber
91
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