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About The skanner. (Portland, Or.) 1975-2014 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 10, 2016)
AUGUST 10, 2016 Portland and Seattle Volume XXXVIII No. 45 News .............................. 3,8-10 SPECIAL SECTION INSIDE: Opinion ...................................2 Health Wellness & Nutrition: Calendars ........................... 4-5 Bids/Classiieds ....................11 BACK TO SCHOOL Community Criticizes CRC Changes New process would merge CRC to Police Review Board – and close its meetings By Arashi Young Of The Skanner News D uring a tense town hall meeting last week, police accountability advocates railed against the pro- posed changes to the Citizen Re- view Committee. The move would end public meetings and merge the CRC into the Police Review Board. Kristen Chambers of the National Lawyers Guild testiied that closed meetings would push the citizen com- plaint process farther away from com- munity or independent police over- sight. “The fundamental problem with AP PHOTO/LM OTERO See CRC on page 3 Ahmed Mohamed speaks about receiving death threats in Dallas, Monday, Aug. 8, 2016. The family of Ahmed Mohamed, who was arrested after bringing the homemade clock to school, and charged with having a hoax bomb, iled a federal lawsuit Monday against Texas school oicials and others, saying they violated the 14-year- old boy’s civil rights. UMOJA FEST Some boys cool of in the water feature in Judkins Park during the annual Umoja Fest, Aug. 5-7 at the Park. The Seafair sanctioned event has been around for almost 70 years and features a Children’s Day, the Heal the Hood Basketball Tournament, a variety of vendors and lots of music and entertainment. To see a slide show with more photos from Umoja Fest, visit theskanner.com. Report Blasts Baltimore Police Over Racial Bias, Force PHOTO BY SUSAN FRIED PHOTO BY M.O. STEVENS (CC BY 3.0) CHALLENGING PEOPLE TO SHAPE A BETTER FUTURE NOW Proposed changes to the Citizen Review Committee for police oversight would involve the committee at the beginning of a police complaint instead of an appeal. The CRC would also be able to hear deadly use-of-force complaints. Federal investigation launched after April 2015 death of Freddie Gray found pattern of unjustiied stops, egregious violations by oicers By JULIET LINDERMAN and ERIC TUCKER Associated Press BALTIMORE (AP) — The Justice Department and Baltimore police agreed to negotiate court-enforce- able reforms ater a scath- ing federal report released Wednesday criticized of- icers for using excessive force and routinely dis- criminating against blacks. The report, the culmi- nation of a yearlong in- vestigation into one of the country’s largest police forces, found that oicers make a large number of stops — mostly in poor, Black neighborhoods — with dubious justiication and unlawfully arrest citi- zens when oicers “did not like what those individuals said.” “These violations have deeply eroded the relation- ship between the police and community it serves,” Vanita Gupta, the head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division, said during a news conference alongside the city’s mayor and police commissioner. The federal investiga- tion was launched ater the April 2015 death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year- old black man whose neck was broken while he was handcufed and shackled but let unrestrained in the back of a police van. The death set of protests and the worst riots in decades. The report represents a damning indictment of how the city’s police of- icers carry out the most fundamental of policing practices, including traic stops and searches. “It doesn’t matter, if you’re Black you’re going to get stopped. It’s crazy out here,” said Anthony Williams, who is Black. He was with his kids and once saw oicers chasing a teen- ager for smoking weed. “There was ive of them. They jumped on him. I had to tell my kids they were Family of Teen Arrested for Hosts Talk ‘n Taste Series Homemade Clock PreSERVE Each event will include health information, Sues School page 10 social activities and healthy soul food Kam Calls ‘The Fight Within’ a “Touching Tale of Redemption” page 7 25 CENTS By Christen McCurdy Of The Skanner News A frican American seniors and their families will have the chance to relax, take care of themselves and learn more about their health during a series of Talk ‘n Taste events at the June Key Delta Community Center in North Portland. The PreSERVE Coalition, which sponsors all events, is a coalition of groups and individuals from a va- riety of sectors to provide cultural- ly competent advocacy for African See PRESERVE on page 3 just playing.” Donald Whitehead said oicers would oten jump out of the car and grab peo- ple “for no reason at all.” “One day I was walking down the street to the store, and one of them jumped out on me and forced me to empty my pockets. They were looking for drugs. I don’t do drugs,” he said. “They just harass people.” Police Commissioner Kevin Davis said six oi- cers who committed egre- gious violations have been ired this year. “Fighting crime and hav- ing a better, more respect- ful relationship with the See BALTIMORE on page 3 A series of Talk ‘n Taste events will be held at The June Key Delta Community Center in North Portland.
