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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 14, 2015)
Page 14 October 14, 2015 Obituaries Compelling Focus on Police Tactics C ontinued from p age 9 In Loving Memory Veronica Polk Veronica Polk was born May 22, 1966 and died Oct. 8, 2015. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, Oct. 20 at 11 a.m. at Rose City Park Methodist Church, 5830 N.E. Alameda St. Addie Jean Haynes passed away on September 20, 2015 in Gresham, Oregon. Addie was born on August 30, 1926 to James and Sylvia Thompson in Plumb- ersville, Arkansas. A memorial service for Addie Jean will be held at Caldwell’s Mortuary at 20 NE 14th Avenue at 11:00 am on Friday, October 23, 2015 with the repast following the service, at the June Key Delta House on 5940 N. Albina St. You can find Addie Jean Haynes online at www.caldwellsfuneralhome. com for sending flowers and any other information. C LASSIFIEDS /B IDS Economist, Finic Inc. 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Fax: 503-288-0015 e-mail: classifieds@portlandobserver.com The Portland Observer Advertise with diversity in The Portland Observer Call 503-288-0033 or email ads@portlandobserver.com tigation skills to several other cases of violent police confron- tations, including one in which a half dozen officers dressed as civilians stormed a man’s house to serve a warrant at night. The latter incident provoked a bloody confrontation that left the man (a veteran who claimed he was react- ing to a perceived home invasion) and several officers wounded and one officer dead. The object of the search? A basement marijuana grow, with no evidence that the homeowner had sold or intended to sell any. Since the 1970s, SWAT team raids have increased in the Unit- ed States by an estimated 15,000 percent, according to one of a handful of very helpful analysts interviewed. The film offers some illuminating background about how we got here, mostly via the so-called war on drugs. Fueling Lawrence’s concern about an in- crease in militarization that has gone largely unexamined is the sa- cred trust that he believes officers owe to the public, which he sees getting lost in the escalation of as- sault weaponry and military gear that has become so prevalent. Lawrence does indeed make for a compelling figure around which to build this film; he understands and respects law enforcement and appreciates from his own experi- ence the real dangers they face. He also credibly analyzes several incidents in which members of the public were killed or injured in confrontations with police and presents convincing alternatives to the justifying narratives put forth by police. The film analyzes only Utah cases involving white citizens; al- though a couple of commentators point out that incidents of police violence are disproportionately visited on minority communities, I both missed further analysis of that reality and marveled at how strong a case can be made about police violence even without ven- turing there. I could not help but that they found a compelling spokesperson; rather, they build a skillful narrative around Law- rence’s concerns, filling in details of specific stories he has investi- gated and panning out to the larg- er issues around police conduct. They also give meaningful air time to the views of law enforce- ment. They have assembled an ex- tremely compelling and nuanced approach to a topic that demands but rarely gets that kind of care, and lucked into incredible timing for their film’s release as concerns about police militarization have Since the 1970s, SWAT team raids have increased in the United States by an estimated 15,000 percent, according to one of a handful of very helpful analysts interviewed. wonder about the vast majority of people of any race who do not have access to a relentless former sheriff to investigate their cases -- and the fact that none of the cases on which Lawrence has applied his powerful police analysis have resulted in meaningful account- ability by law enforcement under- lines the real difficulty in bringing attention to the problems high- lighted here. Directors Barber and Chris- topherson did not rest on the fact increased since the events in Fer- guson, Mo. that followed the po- lice shooting of Michael Brown. No matter where you think you stand on these issues, this exam- ination deserves attention. Darleen Ortega is a judge on the Oregon Court of Appeals and the first woman of color to serve in that capacity. Her movie review column Opinionated Judge ap- pears regularly in The Portland Observer. Find her movie blog at opinionatedjudge.blogspot.com.