Portland observer., May 12, 2010, Page 3, Image 3

May 12. 2010
Il!' sportiani» (Dbseruer
IN S ID E
The Week ¡n Review
This page
Sponsored by:
Page 3
Fred Meyer
page A2
H ealth
page 6-7
Chasse Lawsuit Settled
City to pay $1.6 million in damages
F a m ily A w a rd e d $ 1 .6 M il­
lion T h e fam ily o f a m e n tally ill
m an w h o d ie d in p o lic e c u s ­
to d y h a s s e t tl e d a la w s u it
a g a in st th e c ity o f P o rtla n d ju s t
w e e k s b e fo re th e c a s e w a s
sc h e d u le d fo r tria l.
T he $1.6 m illio n settlem ent
m ust still be ap p ro v ed by the
C ity C o u n cil.
Jam es C hasse Jr., w ho su f­
fered from sch izo p h ren ia, died
in S ep tem b er 2 0 0 6 after he w as
tackled by police o fficers w ho
chased him for a lleg ed ly u rin at­
ing in public. He w as also shot
w ith a stun gun.
C hasse, 42, su ffered 16 b ro ­
ken ribs and a p u n ctu red lung
that led to his d eath w hile o ffic­
ers w ere taking h im to a hospital
J a m e s C h a sse Jr.
in a patrol car.
O ffic e rs to o k h im first to the
M u ltn o m a h C o u n ty ja il b u t a
n u rse to ld th em C h a sse c o u ld
n o t be b o o k e d in his c o n d itio n .
The fam i ly sett led for $925,000
w ith M ultnom ah C o unty fo r a
sh e riffs deputy's involvem ent in
th e d eath an d fo r a rep o rted
$ 6 0 0 ,0 0 0 w ith A m erican M edi­
cal R esponse N o rth w est Inc.,
the a m b u la n c e c o m p a n y that
resp o n d ed to the scen e o f the
arre st.
In N ovem ber, city C o m m is­
sio n er D an S altzm an, w h o o v er­
sees the P o rtlan d P olice B u ­
re a u , re c o m m e n d e d th e tw o
P ortland officers involved in the
death be disciplined.
S altzm an said Sgt. K yle N ice
and
O ffic e r
C h ris to p h e r
H um phreys should be suspended
for failing to require that C h asse
be taken to a hospital.
T he federal civil rights law suit
filed by C hasse's fam ily accused
P ortland police o fficers o f ex ­
c e s s iv e f o r c e a n d d e n y in g
C h asse ap p ro p riate m edical at­
tention.
M
Police Chief Battles Cuts
INIHIIINHIM
C lassifieds
page 13
O pinion
_
page 14-15
C ollege
S cholarships
page 16
F ood
page 20
Mayor, Sizer
see budget
differently
Police C h ie f R osie S izer and
M ay o r Sam A d am s are locked
in disp u te o v er cuts to the Police
B ureau .
O n M onday, S izer an n o u n ced
that u n d er the m a y o r’s p ro p o sed
2 0 1 0 -1 1 b u d g e t, th e b u re a u
w ould have to la y o ff 25 sw orn
officers and restrict public a c ­
cess during ev en in g hours at the
N o rth and E ast P re c in c ts. It
w ould also elim in ate the co ld
case m u rd er in v estig atio n s unit,
the m ounted patrol unit, as w ell
as regional narcotics in v estig a­
tors.
A dam s had claim ed to p ro tect
police o fficer jo b s, despite tough
fiscal tim es, w hen he released
his budget proposal on Friday.
F acing an o th er y ear o f d e­
clining revenue for the city, he
ask ed all bureaus to brace for a
4 p ercent cut, w ith the exception
o f public safety bureaus, w hich
w ere cut by 2 percent.
T he Police B ureau w as asked
to find $3.4 m illion w orth o f cuts
for the upcom ing fiscal year, in
ad dition to $2.8 m illion in cuts
from last y e a r’s budget. H ow ­
ever, S izer said she w as sur­
prised the m ay o r included all the
cuts identified by the bureau.
She said her d epartm ent has
reach ed near full-em ploym ent
w ith m ore people turning to it for
w o rk in the d o w n eco n o m y .
H ow ever, if the budget cuts are
ad o p ted the bureau m ight have
to start laying o f f n ew ly-trained
o fficers.
Shortly after the c h ie f m ade
the an n o u n cem en ts, A dam s re­
sponded in a statem ent, reiterat­
ing that he tq e d to insulate public
safety bureaus from d eep er cuts.
H e also m en tio n ed that he had
w orked w ith S izer on the budget,
a n d q u e s tio n e d so m e o f the
claim s she m ade.
"H er team and I m et num erous
tim es during the budget develop­
m ent process to strategize on how
to m ake the necessary cuts in the
least painful m anner,” said A dam s
in the statem ent. “T oday Police
C h ief Rosie Sizer in her press
conference neglected to m ention
that fact. O r that she approved the
cuts recom m ended by her Bu­
reau and included in m y proposed
budget.”
A d am s said th at he w o u ld
r e v ie w w h a t h a p p e n e d , a n d
m ake necessary changes.
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