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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 17, 2010)
‘City o/ Roses’ PDX Jazz Series Holiday Parade Supper club welcomes vocalist M acy’s will usher in the season See page 9 See page 10 gjaurtlanh Observer Established in 1970 Committed to Cultural Diversity Volume XXXX, Number 44 www.portlandobserver.com Wednesday • November 17, 2010 Officer Fired for Campbell Death Chief says shooting was outside of training Mayor Sam Adams and Portland Police Chief Mike Reese on Tuesday fired the police officer responsible for shooting and killing unarmed 25-year-old Aaron M. Campbell earlier this year. Officer Ronald Frashour “acted outside of his training and outside of police bureau policy,” according to a statement by the two leaders. Reese cited Frashour for improver use of deadly force and disciplined another officer and two sergeants with 80- hour unpaid suspensions for their roles in the shooting. “I have decided the use of force and less lethal force were out of the bureau’s policy,” said Reese in a prepared statement. “My decision was based on the significant policy violations and performance issues that occurred during this incident.” The Rev. Allen Bethel, president of the Albina Minis- Aaron Cam pbell died exiting an apartment with his hands behind his head. terial Alliance, which has criticized police conduct in the incident, welcomed Frashour's firing but said he'd like to have seen tougher suspensions for the other three officers. "It does show that the bureau is beginning to take a look at these things that are being done and willing to hold the officers in the bureau responsible for the actions that have gone forth," Bethel said. The firing and suspensions come after the Jan. 29 death o f Campbell, which occurred outside o f his girlfriend’s apartment on Northeast Sandy Boulevard. The girlfriend’s aunt called the police saying Campbell was distraught from his brother’s health-related death that morning — telling the dispatcher that Campbell was armed and sui cidal. Campbell emerged from the apartment and was shot by beanbag rounds prior to Frashour’s firing an AR-15 rifle at his back, despite having his hands locked behind his head as he walked backward toward the officers. Officers said they thought Campbell was reaching for a weapon. A gun was later found inside the apartment. “These were difficult decisions. Police officers are called on to make split-second decisions every day, and at times those are life-and-death decisions. Officers re- continued on page 16 Airport Tests Baggage System New body scanners haven’t yet arrived by M elissa C havez T he P ortland O bserver With the upcoming Thanksgiv ing and Christmas holidays, thou sands will be traveling in and out of the area to be with loved ones. Luck ily, local transit hubs Union Station and Portland International Airport are more than prepared for the in flux. The airport is testing out a new baggage system, which will allow passengers to check luggage when they check-in with an airline, in stead of adding the usual extra step of transporting bags to an addi tional screening area for drop-off. Steve Johnson, a spokesperson for the Port of Portland, which over sees the airport, said that it is “ex pecting travel to be up about 3 per cent this holiday season over last year.” “W e’re anticipating large num bers of travelers, and are prepared for that,” he said, adding that the airport is hoping the new baggage system will also cut down on pro cessing and wait times. Now though Jan. 2, free enter tainment is featured throughout the airport, and many stores and restau rants are offering special promo tions. Johnson said that the airport typi cally sees 43,000 travelers a day over the holidays — for* both Thanksgiving and Christmas. A normal average day this time of year sees 34,000 travelers. Passengers don’t yet have to de- cide between body scanners or pa.- photo rv M ark W ash . ngton /T he P ortland O bserver downs at PDX, as the airport is not Alaska/Hopzon ticket and baggage workers Kathy W esby (left) and Sandra Waldow are ready to expecting to have the scanners until accommodate an influx o f travelers for the Thanksgiving and Christm as holidays. The airport has a continued W ’ on page 2 new ba^ a^ e system , but h asn 't ye t received new body scanners, the latest technology to detect hidden weapons and explosives in the fight against terrorism.