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November 6, 2013
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H ealth
C alendar
Officer Killed on Fire Call
Man accused
of shooting
after setting
house ablaze
An 88-year-old man set fire to his
house in Oregon City Sunday and
then fatally shot a volunteer reserve
police officer who responded to the
fire, police said.
The Oregon City police officer,
Robert Libke, 41, a graduate from
Marshall High School in southeast
Portland, died Monday after suffer­
ing a bullet wound to his head.
Authorities identified the sus­
p ected gunm an as L aw rence
Cambra, who was one of two resi­
dents of the burned home. A woman
who also lives there was uninjured,
said Sgt. Dan Kraus of the Clackamas
County sheriffs office.
Investigators are still trying to de­
termine a motive, but they don't be­
lieve the fire was intentionally set to
lure police into an ambush, Kraus said.
The Oregonian reported that
Cambra has a history of domestic
Lawrence Cambra, accused o f
shooting
Robert Libke, fatally wounded
disputes.
Police and firefighters were dis­
patched to Cambra's home after re­
ports that it was burning. The re­
ports said a man on the scene had a
handgun.
Libke and a regular deputy were
first on the scene. Police say Cambra
confronted Libke and then shot him.
Officers surrounded the area, and
neighbors and firefighters were
evacuated.
Libke was one of about 10 re­
serve officers who volunteer to aug­
ment regular staffing levels for the
Oregon City police. Neighbors told
The Oregonian that Libke's wife was
pregnant. They said he started a
neighborhood watch group in his
southeast Portland neighborhood.
"Oh my God, my heart's just
breaking," neighbor Ed Neuman
said. "He's a good man. I'm just
going to pray for him and his wife."
Woman’s Life Taken in Gunfire
C lassifieds
page 12
The Oregon State Medical Examiner will be conducting an
autopsy soon to determine the exact cause of death of 24-
year-old Precious Antanaye Jackson. This comes after a
shooting early Friday morning. Jackson’s body was discov­
ered by police outside the Laurel Place Apartments on
Southeast 124th Avenue and Powell Court at 1:37 a.m.
Homicide detectives are asking for the public’s help to
recover any discarded clothing, particularly jackets or hoodies
in the area of Gilbert Heights City Park located at Southeast
127th Avenue and Boise Street. Authorities are saying it was
around this area where a vehicle was seen eluding officers
and crashed, before three to four African-American males
fled the car.
Precious Jackson
Policy Director Hiring Draws Criticism
O bituaries
F o o d
page 19
African American advocates for
police reform in Portland are raising
concerns over the hiring of police
officer as the new police policy ad­
visor to Mayor Charlie Hales.
The Albina Ministerial Alliance
Coalition for Justice and Police Re­
form said the choice of a sworn
police officer for the job may cause
a conflict because of concerns she
will not stand up to the police chief
and his commanders who used to be
her supervisors.
Hales named Deanna Wesson-
Mitchell, a 9 year veteran of the
Police Bureau and a local African-
Am erican who graduated from
Jefferson High School, as his police
policy director last week to replace
Baruti Artharee, a longtime leader
from Portland’s African American
community.
In an open letter addressed to
Mayor Hales, the AMA says “it has
been reported that Officer Wesson-
Mitchell has the ability to return to
the Bureau if she chooses to re­
apply within three years. If her deci­
sion making will be in any way influ­
enced by the concern that she may
not be welcome back if she makes
continued
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