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
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(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.