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About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (April 3, 2024)
April 3, 2024 Page 3 ocaL N ews INSIDE L Lawsuit from Family of Black Arts & ENTERTAINMENT s ports c Lassified /B ids page 7 Man Killed by Police Update page 8 Additional Details Provided in the Updated Lawsuit Filed pages 10 Established 1970 USPS 959 680 1727 NE 13th Ave. Suite 201 Portland, OR 97212 The Portland Observer welcomes freelance submissions. Manuscripts and photographs should be clearly labeled and will be returned if accompanied by a self addressed envelope. All created design display ads become the sole property of the newspaper and cannot be used in other publications or personal usage without the written consent of the general manager, unless the client has purchased the composition of such ad. © 2008 THE PORTLAND OBSERVER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, REPRODUCTION IN WHOLE OR IN PART WITHOUT PERMISSION IS PROHIBITED. The Portland Observer--Oregon’s Oldest Multicultural Publication--is a member of the National Newspaper Association--Founded in 1885, and The National Advertising Representative Amalgamated Publishers, Inc, New York, NY, and The West Coast Black Publishers Association Publisher: Mark Washington, Sr. Editor: Shawntell Washington Office Mngr/Clasfds : Lucinda Baldwin Admin Coord : Quayuana Washington Creative Director: Kenya Anderson Web Editor: Zoe Holman-Kragero CALL 503-288-0033 • FAX 503-288-0015• news@portlandobserver.com ads@portlandobserver.com• subscription@portlandobserver.com Postmaster: Send address changes to Portland Observer, PO Box 3137, Portland, OR 97208 (AP) — Police officers in Ore- gon shot and killed a 24-year-old Black man in the back and then instead of providing medical care, mocked his lifeless body, threw explosives at him and sent a dog to attack his corpse, his family al- leges in an updated lawsuit filed Thursday with additional details from the 2022 shooting. Derrick Clark Jr. didn’t pull over when an officer turned on his lights because of an alleged “wobble lane change” on June 18, 2022, the lawsuit said. Nei- ther did he pull over when a sec- ond officer began pursuing him, or stay inside the car after police rammed it twice. Instead, he ran away, the law- suit said: “And yes, with a gun.” He didn’t point the gun at offi- cers, however, and threw it away as he kept running “like so many other Black men have tried to run away from the police in this country throughout history,” the lawsuit says, noting that 1.4% of Clackamas County’s population is Black. Officers shot Clark eight This photo released by the Clark Family’s legal representatives, show Derrick Clark Jr.,left, with his mother Sarah Miles. (courtesy of the Clark family via AP) times, and even though he lay unmoving just a few feet away, also deployed a heat sensor drone before throwing explosives at him, the suit alleges. The officers laughed, chewed tobacco, made jokes and talked about the “boy” being dead, according to the law- suit, which also alleges that they commanded a dog to “bite and maul him.” Clackamas County offi- cials didn’t respond to an email from The Associated Press on Thursday. The lawsuit was initially filed in December by Clark’s family. According to an amended com- plaint filed Thursday, the lawsuit was updated “as a courtesy and at the request of Defendants ... who contended that the original com- plaint was vague and not sufficient in some respects.” About two hours elapsed from the moment the eighth shot hit Clark to the time the police dog bit him and he was pronounced dead. “During that span of time, over 50 law enforcement officers at the scene either neglected, refused, or otherwise failed to render aid to Mr. Clark,” the lawsuit says. “This is a violation of the policy of Defendant officers’ respective de- partmental policies. Had appropri- ate aid been provided, Mr. Clark could have survived.” WOU Alum Highlights Social Work Career A Desire to Help Others and a Passion for Sociology Western Oregon University is proud to highlight the accomplish- ments of alumnus Michael Waller ‘08. Waller received a bachelor’s degree in social science from Western, leading him to a career in social work. Western introduced Waller to his two passions which are act- ing and sociology. Waller shares that he always knew he wanted to help people and while at Western, learned there were a multitude of avenues he could take. Currently, he is a school social worker at Mc- Daniel High School in Portland and a working actor. “One of the biggest things I learned at Western was to take chances. I did not believe that I could get into some of the things Michael Waller I’m into today. I was introduced to some staff at Western who really challenged me,” shared Waller. “They challenged me to have crit- ical thinking and I wouldn’t be where I’m at without it. I recom- mend Western to everyone.” Waller’s story is a testament to Western’s commitment to sup- porting students in discovering and following their passions. His dedication to supporting youth through social work exemplifies the impactful contributions that Western alumni make to society, showcasing the values of compas- sion, leadership, and excellence instilled by their alma mater.
