Shooting Angers Portland's Black Community

It's STILL open season on brothers!:smt013
Feb. 18, 2010
WILLIAM McCALL, Associated Press Writer

Portland. Oregon(AP) -- Aaron Campbell had been drinking at his apartment and was upset about the death of his brother after a long illness when he found himself exchanging a text message with a Portland police officer.

"Aaron, we need to know if you intend on hurting yourself," the message read.

The 25-year-old Campbell responded: "Never." Then he added, with a sense of humor: "wow, u guys text too. u get kudos."

Minutes later, he was dead, shot in the back by a police officer with a rifle after Campbell had come out of his apartment with his hands on the back of his head. The officer said he thought Campbell had a gun. He did not.

Campbell's Jan. 29 death has enraged Portland's tiny black community, who make up less than 7 percent of the population. It has also drawn attention to the sometimes tense relations between them and police.

On Tuesday, the Rev. Jesse Jackson gave his support to community members who say Campbell's death could easily have been avoided.

Jackson called the killing an "execution," and pointed out there have been previous recent shootings by police officers of unarmed black people.

Black leaders have been staging protests against the shooting, demanding changes in the way the police bureau responds to such incidents.

On Wednesday, they organized a march to City Hall where they delivered a letter to Mayor Sam Adams demanding police reform.

The mayor later issued his own statement: "Let me make this abundantly clear: Aaron Campbell did not need to die that January night."

Documents released by police this week suggest a breakdown in communication led to Campbell's shooting.

Officers were sent to Campbell's apartment after relatives called 911 to say he was upset over his brother's death from heart disease, that he had a gun, and wanted police to kill him.

At the scene, officer James Quackenbush tried to reach Campbell by cell phone but couldn't get a voice connection, so he tried texting him and was able to reach him that way.

Campbell told Quackenbush he had no intention of killing himself.

"Thanks Aaron, I appreciate your help. I'm truly sorry about your Brother, can u promise me u won't hurt yourself-Jim," Quackenbush wrote.

By that time Campbell's girlfriend and her three young children were out of the apartment and were no longer in harm's way.

Documents released by the police show that the commander at the scene - Sgt. Liani Reyna - believed the crisis at that point was over.

She is quoted as saying "I'm ready to walk away from this, we don't need to be here."

But then something went awry.

Campbell emerged from the apartment with his hands on his head. Officers told him to put his hands in the air instead, and when he didn't comply they pelted him with nonlethal beanbag rounds. As Campbell began to run away, he reached toward his waistband, and an officer shot him with an AR-15 rifle.

The body lay in the parking lot for more than half an hour before a special weapons team called to the scene determined Campbell was dead.

Adding to outrage over the shooting is the fact that as police were trying to get Cambpell to raise his hands above his head they sent a police dog after him. The police report released this week showed the dog had bitten Campbell on the leg as he lay on the ground.

A Multnomah County grand jury ruled the use of deadly force against Campbell fell within guidelines because the officer who shot him believed he was going for a gun. But the grand jury took the unusual step of writing a letter to District Attorney Michael Schrunk sharply criticizing police for the way they handled the incident.

"We feel that his death resulted from flawed police policies, incomplete or inappropriate training, incomplete communication and other issues with the police effort," the letter said.

Their letter added, "as a group, we are outraged."

Police are reviewing procedures used during the Jan. 29 tragedy.
Detective Mary Wheat, police spokeswoman, said Wednesday that Chief Rosie Sizer had no plans to comment about the review until it is complete.
Wheat also said the police bureau works hard to "maintain relations with all kinds of minority groups in Portland." She added: "Obviously this kind of incident puts stress on those relationships."

"We'll try to work through this and keep their trust," she said.
Still, black leaders are not satisfied.

Their anger was voiced Wednesday in the Oregon Legislature by state Rep. Lew Frederick.

"Every time another member of our community dies and the use of force is characterized as consistent with procedures and training, our confidence in the system sinks even lower," Frederick said from the floor of the Oregon House.

 

Damn, that whole thing was screwed up from the word go. I cannot fathom why the hell his family thought it was a good idea to call the police and tell them he was armed and wanted police to kill him. And then rather clearly that wasn't the case once the police arrived and they were apparently aware of that. Now granted apparently the man tried to run, but I would think if you set a police dog loose on just about anyone that their first instinct is going to be to run, so why they felt at that point that they needed to shoot him in the back is beyond me. Clearly they need better trained police officers, that's disgusting and utterly ridiculous to shoot a man who posed not threat to anyone and hadn't done anything. It's really just sickening.

 

looks like the thought of him having a gun, was more meaningful than the actual presence of one. Talk about a breakdown in training. He needs to go hit the 'Kill House' again.

 

Obviously there was a breakdown on several levels! Last time I checked the police weren't allowed to shoot anyone in the back unless they were a felon or posed a verifiable threat.

 

yeah i don't remember seeing any targets with their backs turned, in any kill houses or MOUT sites I've seen.

that may be something to run past some urban combat instructors...

good for an odd look or two, followed by the requisite 'Are you stupid?'

 

Break down in training? Are you guys kidding me it's plain and simple young + black= justifiable homicide in almost every single fucking instance. We're nothing more than good for nothing mongrals waiting to be put down. They killed that poor kid just because they wanted to. They already had a police dog on him yet they still felt the need to fire? WTF!!!

 

What would you like to see happen to the police officer who killed Aaron Campbell?

 

I'd like to see him lose his job and pension and a minimum of 8 years for manslaughter. He should be treated like anyone who did the same crime.

 

I agree. He should be charged with manslaughter, tried, convicted and sentenced. Just because he is a police officer doesn't make him less responsible for his actions.

 

You don't want to know.

 

The same thing that would happen to a Black cop for killing a white boy under the same circumstances.

In other words they should build a brand new prison and throw him under it.