Local News
TriMet
Middle College
Girl (Graphic).”
On Jan. 12, police arrested three sisters,
one 13; one 16; and 18-year-old Rakeshia
Burns, on felony charges of riot, third
degree assault, second degree disorderly
conduct, harassment, and interfering with
public transportation.
The Skanner News is not reprinting the
underage juveniles’ names, although the
victim has been identified in numerous
media reports; both the underage girls
charged with crimes have been released
from the juvenile justice center, issued GPS
monitors and are awaiting court proceed-
ings.
Selena Harris -- who is Abiori’s daughter
and the mother of the 13-year-old and Burns
-- is charged with hindering prosecution for
allegedly denying to the police on the phone
that her daughters were at home, when,
police say, they were; police also say that
‘Here this girl opened
her mouth and started
a fight – and now my
family has to face
prison time?’
Harris was trying to arrange for her 18-year-
old to flee the charges.
The white teenager, whose story conflicts
with accounts of her friends and has
changed over time as reflected in the police
reports, has not been charged with any
offense.
In the first police report, dated Dec. 26,
the reporting officer describes interviews
with the victim, her boyfriend and another
friend in the moments after the fight.
“He said they were on the back car and 3
B/F’s (black females) got on the train and
told him that he was ‘cute,’” the initial
police report says. “[The boyfriend] told me
that [the victim] did not like the females
telling him this and words were exchanged
which led to the 3 BF’s hitting [the victim].”
The sergeant wrote in the report that the
victim was examined by emergency work-
ers soon after the incident and found to be
uninjured. According to the victim, the
report says, she was attacked because she
laughed when “the BF’s told her to ‘stop
sassing.’”
“[The victim] was very concerned about
what her father would think and that this
was her fault,” the sergeant wrote.
When the investigating officer telephoned
the victim’s father, “[He] said he was more
concerned with [the victim] putting herself
into situations that could be avoided,” he
wrote.
The victim’s second friend, also a
teenaged girl, told investigators in January
that the victim “had an attitude with the
girls and began exchanging words with
them.”
“I thought she was going to fight when
she stood up and took her headphones out
her ears,” the victim’s friend said.
At issue in the case is the original video of
the fight, which police reports indicate was
circulating at the victim’s school, and had
been posted to Facebook.
This longer video, received by police offi-
cers Jan. 6, shows some of the lead-up to the
altercation, including the victim standing up
to the three other teenaged girls before the
three sisters quickly advance on the victim
with quick slapping motions; the slapping
continues for about 20 seconds before the
sisters withdraw, and the victim sits up in
her seat.
Throughout, other teens on the MAX lit-
erally jump up and down with glee as the
standoff progresses.
Yet the video shown repeatedly on TV has
been edited to only show the hitting, as if
the victim was quietly sitting on the train
before it all started.
The repeated airing of this shorter video –
which has included one television station’s
segment on viewers demanding the teens be
PHOTO BY LISA LOVING
continued from page 1
Jefferson High School’s Middle College for Advanced Studies Wednesday
announced it has three new partners: Portland State university, Oregon State
university and Warner Pacific College have joined the university of Oregon
in pledging substantial scholarships to lower-income students, who meet
their entry requirements. Jefferson Principal Margaret Calvert makes the
announcement.
charged with a hate crime -- appeared to
have motivated the victim’s family to press
charges amid claims that their daughter
“wasn’t protected” on TriMet.
In fact the police reports show the family
waited until Jan. 3 to call the police for the
first time, and officially notified officers of
their decision to press charges more than
two weeks after the incident – after filming
numerous television interviews on the case.
On Jan. 12, officers again interviewed the
victim, with her parents’ permission. The
girl said that the fight caused her “eyes to
roll back in her head,” and that the next day
she found she was bleeding from a scratch.
The officer writing the January report
noted inconsistencies in her testimony com-
pared to the police investigator’s report just
after the incident.
The victim said that, the previous month
after the attack, she had a severe headache
and two deep scratches across her chest; she
told the officer that at the time she wasn’t
sure if she had lost consciousness.
“I advised [the victim] that she seemed to
minimize her injuries from the attack, when
interviewed by the news channels,” the offi-
cer wrote in his report. “[The victim] told
me the news reporters told her they wanted
her to go on television so she could let the
people know she was all right and okay,” he
wrote. “They were making her feel better
about speaking on television.
“I explained to [the victim] how these
comments can affect the investigation. She
was not aware, and she assured me of her
injuries.”
According to the victim, the police report
says, the attack started because she laughed
at a joke one of the sisters made. This, she
said, infuriated the other girl and prompted
all three to start hitting; for her own part, the
victim told police, she “did not provoke
anything.”
What does Art mean for you? How can
art help you free your mind? Learn how to
draw graffiti.
eliminate violence and increase the peace.
Imani
Muhammad
503-781-5313
info@portlandyouthsummit.org
Kaon-Jabbar East - History Of African
Martial Arts
This workshop will break down the origin
of Martial Arts and the connection of this art
to the 5 elements of Hip Hop. Learn self-
defense techniques.
Betty Harris - Bullying in Our Commu-
nity and Schools
Learn how to recognize bullying, and stop
it. Get a hands on personal experience in
resolving issues facing your community.
Youth
continued from page 1
Soul. He’ll share how young artists can nav-
igate the music business without
compromising their integrity, and how to
gain national and international success,
without a major label or industry cosign.
Jasiri X has a history of challenging
authority. In 2010 he released the table-
turning, ‘ What if The Tea Party Was
Black?’ Last year he stood up against the
execution of Troy Davis with “I am Troy
Davis.” Check him out on Facebook at
jasirixofficial, or on twitter @Jasiri
Parents are also invited to attend work-
shops dealing with bullying, sex and the
challenges of parenting in 2012.
Youth Summit Workshops:
Desmond Spann - Emcee Mind-
Freestyling
If you have ever wanted to learn the art of
freestyling, pubic speaking, or confidence
this workshop will expose participants to
the opportunity to learn these skills. Con-
quer perfomance fear through the fun
experience of freestyling.
Elijah Hasan - Creative Media
Get thinking about how media messages
influence you. Discover fresh and creative
approaches to creating and sharing media.
The more aware you are, the more control
you will have over who and what you
believe.
Joshua Dudley - Graffiti, Art and Free-
dom-
Madgesdiq - Who Are You? (Discover-
ing Yourself Thru the Power of Writing)
Are you a writer? Do you have thoughts
that no one else knows? See how writing
can bring you deeper into yourself to a place
where where the world slows down, and
time stands still, where barriers are lifted,
where dreams are manifested and autobi-
ographies
are
written.
Solamon Ibe - Healthy Opposite Sex
Relationships
Forget the pain and the drama. Kick those
media storylines to the curb. Healthy rela-
tionships are meant to feel good. Find out
how to make it so with your man Solamon.
William X - The Causes of Youth Vio-
lence
Youth violence has swept over America
and that includes Portland, Oregon. Check
out who your real enemies are and how you
should handle them. Think outside the box
of skin color, gender, or class to find true
self-love and identity. Learn the skills to
Parent Workshops
Jay Klusky Ph. D-New Skills for a New
Time
Discover how to give youth the skills they
need to succeed; skills they won’t learn at
school. Learn a new tool that helps families
strengthen self-esteem and self-discipline.
Mic Crenshaw- The Future Is Up To Us
Delve deeper into how the world we live
in affects our children. We, as a race and
civilization are in the midst of a global eco-
nomic crisis. The root of this crisis is the
system of capitalism and exploitation that
has shaped history and the reality we live
every day on earth. Find out how we can
make change in our own lives.
Mariotta Gary-Smith & Linda Horn-
buckle - Let’s Talk About Sex
Do you have a difficult time discussing
sex with your children? Don’t worry most
parents do. Linda and Mariotta will give
you new tools to help you help your child
navigate these dangerous waters. Learn
where to go for the facts and how to ask for
help when you need it.
HAVE TALENT?
Young Minds of Awareness, the mentor-
ing and skills training agency is also
hosting an event for youth. The Teen
Summit and Dance will run from 4 pm to
10 p.m. Feb. 17, at the June Key Delta
Community Center, 5940 North Albina
St., Portland, 97217 The summit, 4-5:30
p.m., is free. The dance, 5:30 to 10 p.m.
will include a dance competition with
trophies for the best three dancers and
entertainment. It costs $3 in advance
and $5 at the door.
At the summit, Taiwo Payton, who spent
his teen years in foster care, will speak
about the foster care system and youth
gangs. Portland City Commissioner
candidate Teressa Raiford will also
speak. Young Minds of Awareness,
located at Oregon Outreach/ Gladys
McCoy Academy, 3802 N.E. Martin
Luther King Jr. Blvd. offers a range of
services for youth including life skills
and career training, mentoring, commu-
nication and more. The program serves
children leaving the foster care system
and children dealing with disabilities, as
well as offering recreational activities for
youth.
Also on Feb. 17, the Police Activities
League Youth Center will hold a Black
History Open House from 6-9 p.m. at
the youth center, 424 N.E. 172nd Ave.,
Portland 97230. An exhibit will show
how the Freedom Riders risked their
safety, freedom and even their lives, in
the struggle for civil rights.
February 8, 2012 The Portland Skanner Page 3