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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 19, 2020)
August 19, 2020 Page 11 PSU to Disarm Campus Police Harris Photography C ontinued From F ront nity, one that works to dismantle systems racism and promotes the dignity of all who come to the campus. The announcement to disarm came as Portland ap- proached 80 days of nightly protests following the death of George Floyd, the Black man who died last Memorial Day after being pinned by the neck by a white Minneap- olis police officer Percy said the decision to have officers patrol the campus unarmed is the first step in a broader policy to re-imagine safety at the state-funded university. “Over the past few weeks we have listened to many voices across our campus,” Percy wrote in an email to campus announcing the change. “The calls for change that we are hearing at PSU are ringing out across our na- tion. We must find a new way to protect the safety of our community, one that eliminates systemic racism and pro- motes the dignity of all who come to our urban campus.” Activists had been calling for Portland State to disarm campus police long before Floyd’s death. The campus police officers got guns for the first time in 2014 following a contentious decision that came de- spite concerns raised by students and faculty. Then, in June 2018, two campus officers fatally shot 45-year-old Jason Washington, a Navy veteran and em- ployee of the U.S. Postal Service, near a bar just outside the boundaries of the university’s campus. A report by the Portland Police Bureau found that col- lege police officers fired 17 times and Washington was struck nine times. Oregon’s medical examiner ruled the death a homicide. A grand jury ruled that the two officers should not face criminal charges. Washington had been out drinking with friends when his group got into a confrontation with another group outside a bar called the Cheerful Tortoise just off campus in downtown Portland. A lengthy report released three months after the June 29, 2018, shooting, as well as footage pulled from the of- ficers’ body-worn cameras, show Washington had a gun in his right pocket when he tried to come to a friend’s as- sistance during a fight. Officers later found a legal permit to carry a concealed weapon in the dead man’s wallet. As campus police arrive at the scene, a man shouts several times, “He pulled a gun on us! He pulled a gun!” as he points to Washington, who appears to be trying to keep his friend from a fight. Obituary Norise Massenburg Norise Massenburg was born in Tyler, Texas on Jan. 5, 1960 to Morine and Liselle Massenburg. Although the world knew him as Norise, to family he was “Pokey.” Norise attended John Tyler High School where he excelled in basketball, football and track. After graduating from high school in 1978, he at- tended Texas State Tech Institute in Waco, Texas where he received an Associate’s Degree. In 1982 Norise enlisted in the U. S. Coast Guard. This duty led him to the Portland area where he spent most of his adult life. Norise’s ex- perience with the Coast Guard played a very important role in his life. During his enlistment, he was well received and was commended for his services. He also had an accomplished career as a welder, which spanned 503-730-1156 On Site Printing 4x6 5x7 or 8x10 antonioharris@mac.com 4545 N.E. MLK 97211 PSU Police Chief Willie Halliburton At that point, Washington’s visibly intoxicated friend breaks away and begins punching another man until he is kicked by a third person in the head and knocked out. As Washington tries to pull the man away from his unconscious friend, one PSU officer grabs Wash- ington’s arm from behind and tells him to back away from the fight. A black object that appears to be a gun is visible protruding from Washington’s right hip pocket at that moment in body camera video. Washington stumbles backward and falls to the ground as someone says, “He’s got a gun!” Washington gets up, takes several steps away and turns to face the two officers as they shout at him to drop the gun. The medical examiner’s report quotes one of the officers as yelling, “Do not pick up the gun!” just before the officers fired 17 shots “in very quick suc- cession.” It’s not clear from the video if Washington had already picked up the gun when he was shot. Toxicology reports show Washington had a blood-alcohol content of more than three times the legal driving limit. Portland State hired two independent firms, one to examine the school’s policy of arming campus police and another to conduct its own investigation into the shooting. --Associated Press contributed to this story. In Loving Memory more than 20 years. His metal works ex- ist throughout nu- merous high-profile facilities including the Oregon Con- vention Center and Moda Center. In 2008 Norise married his wife Melinda. The pair enjoyed 12 blessed and blissful years together in Vancouver, Wash. Norise was a man of many hob- bies. He loved barbecuing, dancing, fishing, listening to jams on the stereo and driving his cars around town. He was an avid supporter of the Dallas Cowboys and carried a tremendous sense of humor, which charmed or dug under the skin of anyone who knew him. He was considered the greatest horse race bettor on this side of the Mississippi and was often found collecting Tri- fecta winnings at Portland Mead- ows raceway. Norise was preceded in death by his parents Loiselle and Morine Massenburg, daughter Rachelle Massenburg and sister Jesse Taylor. 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