Tuesday, October 31, 2006
IN MY OPINION - THE DEATH OF LUKUS GLENN - The public deserves more than silence
Special to The Oregonian, Lawrence K. Peterson
I represent the family of Lukus Glenn, the 18-year-old who was shot and killed last month by Washington County sheriff's deputies shortly after his mother called 9-1-1 for help in dealing with her drunk, distressed son.
Because of numerous public misrepresentations by Washington County officials, Lukus' parents, Hope and Brad Glenn, have sought to have a further conversation within the community about their son's death, a conversation between the public and law enforcement to help all of us understand the role of emergency services. Why? Because in Hope's words, "They didn't have to shoot him; we just asked for help."
Local citizens invest millions of dollars annually in law enforcement and 9-1-1 services. Local government is responsible to see that the money is well spent and that police power is not abused. City halls and county boards certainly should have a voice after such incidents and should provide a forum through which the public, the families of those affected and law enforcement can be heard.
But some in law enforcement don't see it that way. Former Portland police officer C.W. Jensen argued in a letter to the editor in The Oregonian that the lay public doesn't understand such incidents because they are not experts and have never faced violent confrontations. In an article in the October "Rap Sheet" from the Portland Police Association, retired Capt. James Harvey rails against "armchair quarterbacks" and mockingly suggests that people should call columnist Steve Duin or The Oregonian's offices "to deal with the violence," as if this bit of curious wit ends the discussion. In the same edition, PPA president and police officer Robert King rebukes any request for a public inquest as "outdated, unnecessary and destructive" because of the "community's failure to understand us."
The last time I checked, Steve Duin and The Oregonian are in business to report and comment on news and events, while law enforcement officials have sworn to protect and to serve. It is simply arrogant to state that those people you are sworn to protect and serve --and who are taxed for your paycheck --should not have the right to voice their concerns.
In the Glenn case, the family looked forward to a grand jury hearing. None was convened. They were told to wait for the official reports. They did. What they found was that the officers had inaccurately described the facts regarding Lukus' death --specifically that there was a long gap between when beanbag rounds were fired and when the lethal rounds were fired. The Washington County district attorney accepted the officers' version of the events, even though an audio recording of that night clearly contradicts that version, showing that there was no gap between the beanbag rounds and the lethal fire.
Despite pointing out the plain inaccuracy of the DA's report, the family's questions have been met with deafening silence from public officials.
It doesn't require a history of experience with violent confrontation to listen to a tape recording --or from that to question the actions of law enforcement. Asking legitimate questions is the public's right, and it is the government's obligation to answer.
Portland Police Chief Rosie Sizer got a lot of it right in her opinion piece last week ("A time to focus on the broader issues," Oct. 25). This is the time to "focus on the larger picture" in review of emergency services. It is not the time to fall behind the closed ranks of the "thin blue line" and hope the questions go away.
An open, transparent review of the facts surrounding Lukus Glenn's death is a constructive step in the process of administering emergency services and restoring the public's confidence in the 9-1-1 system. It's not the first time that a family of a troubled, drunken teen has called for help. And it won't be the last.
Lawrence K. Peterson is an attorney representing the Glenn family.
Monday, October 23, 2006
Deputy kills man who grabs for rifle
from The Oregonian, by Lisa Grace Lednicer
SUMMARY: Tualatin Officers say an apartment intruder fights, then breaks away despite Taser use and beanbag rounds
TUALATIN --A Washington County sheriff's deputy shot and killed an intruder early Sunday morning after Taser shocks and beanbag rounds failed to subdue him, and the man tried to reach for the officer's weapon, police said.
Deputies were still trying to identify the man Sunday afternoon, said Sgt. David Thompson, spokesman for the Washington County Sheriff's Office.
The incident began shortly before midnight when the man broke into a woman's apartment, Thompson said.
The fatal shooting was the second involving Washington County deputies in recent weeks, following the Sept. 16 shooting of 18-year-old Lukus Glenn outside his parents' Metzger home.
Thompson gave the following account of Sunday's incident at the Woodridge apartment complex:
Just before 11:50 p.m. Saturday, a 29-year-old woman awoke on the couch of her ground-floor apartment in the 11900 block of Southwest Tualatin Road and found a man touching her. She ordered him to leave.
When the man refused, the woman grabbed her cell phone and ran into her 8-year-old daughter's bedroom at the back of the apartment. She leaned against the door to keep it shut, but the man overpowered her, followed her into the room and began attacking her. Nevertheless, the woman was able to call 9-1-1, Thompson said. She sustained minor injuries, and her daughter was not hurt.
A Tualatin police officer responded to the call, fought with the man --who had taken a kitchen knife from the apartment --and fired a Taser gun to shock him, to no effect, Thompson said. Next, a Sherwood police officer arrived and ordered the man to the ground. When he refused to obey, the officer fired beanbag rounds at the man, which didn't slow him.
As the fight spilled out of the apartment, the man ran across Southwest Tualatin Road onto a grassy knoll. When a Washington County sheriff's deputy arrived, the man ran toward him. The deputy ordered him to stop, but he didn't, so the deputy fired a Taser gun.
Undeterred, the man opened the driver's side door and tried to grab an MP-5 rifle mounted between the front seats, Thompson said. The deputy shot the intruder several times, and the man slumped against the side of the car, then reached inside again. The deputy shot him, and the man collapsed outside the car and died, Thompson said.
Thompson declined to release the names of the woman and the three officers. The officers are on paid administrative leave while officials investigate the incident.
It was not known how the man entered the woman's apartment. The woman told police she did not know him.
The apartment complex is on a stretch of Southwest Tualatin Road lined with office parks and young trees. The complex has a pool and playground, and residents said violent events such as Sunday morning's are atypical.
"Every once in a while you get a police car, but nothing major like this," said Claudia Thomas, a retired bookkeeper who lives at the complex. "It's usually pretty quiet."
SUMMARY: Tualatin Officers say an apartment intruder fights, then breaks away despite Taser use and beanbag rounds
TUALATIN --A Washington County sheriff's deputy shot and killed an intruder early Sunday morning after Taser shocks and beanbag rounds failed to subdue him, and the man tried to reach for the officer's weapon, police said.
Deputies were still trying to identify the man Sunday afternoon, said Sgt. David Thompson, spokesman for the Washington County Sheriff's Office.
The incident began shortly before midnight when the man broke into a woman's apartment, Thompson said.
The fatal shooting was the second involving Washington County deputies in recent weeks, following the Sept. 16 shooting of 18-year-old Lukus Glenn outside his parents' Metzger home.
Thompson gave the following account of Sunday's incident at the Woodridge apartment complex:
Just before 11:50 p.m. Saturday, a 29-year-old woman awoke on the couch of her ground-floor apartment in the 11900 block of Southwest Tualatin Road and found a man touching her. She ordered him to leave.
When the man refused, the woman grabbed her cell phone and ran into her 8-year-old daughter's bedroom at the back of the apartment. She leaned against the door to keep it shut, but the man overpowered her, followed her into the room and began attacking her. Nevertheless, the woman was able to call 9-1-1, Thompson said. She sustained minor injuries, and her daughter was not hurt.
A Tualatin police officer responded to the call, fought with the man --who had taken a kitchen knife from the apartment --and fired a Taser gun to shock him, to no effect, Thompson said. Next, a Sherwood police officer arrived and ordered the man to the ground. When he refused to obey, the officer fired beanbag rounds at the man, which didn't slow him.
As the fight spilled out of the apartment, the man ran across Southwest Tualatin Road onto a grassy knoll. When a Washington County sheriff's deputy arrived, the man ran toward him. The deputy ordered him to stop, but he didn't, so the deputy fired a Taser gun.
Undeterred, the man opened the driver's side door and tried to grab an MP-5 rifle mounted between the front seats, Thompson said. The deputy shot the intruder several times, and the man slumped against the side of the car, then reached inside again. The deputy shot him, and the man collapsed outside the car and died, Thompson said.
Thompson declined to release the names of the woman and the three officers. The officers are on paid administrative leave while officials investigate the incident.
It was not known how the man entered the woman's apartment. The woman told police she did not know him.
The apartment complex is on a stretch of Southwest Tualatin Road lined with office parks and young trees. The complex has a pool and playground, and residents said violent events such as Sunday morning's are atypical.
"Every once in a while you get a police car, but nothing major like this," said Claudia Thomas, a retired bookkeeper who lives at the complex. "It's usually pretty quiet."
Friday, October 20, 2006
Parents' lawyer challenges DA's view
from The Oregonian, by Kate Taylor
SUMMARY: Glenn death The attorney says deputies were too quick to fire at the Tigard-area youth
LAKE OSWEGO -- An attorney for the parents of a Tigard-area youth shot dead last month by Washington County sheriff's deputies said on Thursday the district attorney's review of the shooting was flawed.
In particular, Lake Oswego attorney Larry Peterson said deputies were too quick to fire at Lukus Glenn, 18, who had just been shot with beanbag rounds. He also said that Glenn was not running away, but instead reeling from the impact of the beanbag rounds when the deputies fired.
Police on Sept. 16 shot Glenn after his mother called 9-1-1, saying he was drunk, out of control and threatening the family. Deputies Mikhail Gerba and Tim Mateski and Tigard police officer Andrew Pastore confronted Glenn outside the home, and when he refused to drop a pocket knife, the officer shot him with bean bags and then the two deputies opened fire as Glenn moved toward the house.
Hope Glenn on Thursday blinked back tears as Peterson played the 9-1-1 tape of her son's shooting to a roomful of reporters in the attorney's office.
Holding up his fingers as the sound of beanbag rounds and then live rounds filled the room, Peterson told reporters to note that there was no gap between the beanbag shots and the bullets fired by the two sheriff's deputies.
"Where is the time gap?" Peterson asked. "Where is the time gap? There is no time gap. Citizens of Washington County should be able to rely on their 9-1-1 system and the law enforcement community."
In post-shooting interviews, Peterson said, police gave conflicting accounts of how much time elapsed. Peterson emphasized Gerba's version that Lukus Glenn exchanged words with his father, grandmother and police between the beanbag rounds and before the shots were fired. Peterson compared that with Pastore's comments that three to five seconds passed after he shot beanbag volleys and the deputies finished firing their guns.
Peterson also said he believed that --counter to what police have said in interviews --Glenn never ran toward his house, but was propelled by bean bags.
Sitting with her husband, Brad Glenn, Hope Glenn continued to press for a public inquest for the sake of the lessons the case holds.
"I don't think it should happen to anybody else," she said. "It didn't have to happen that way."
The shooting has raised questions in the community about police use of deadly force.
"We are training officers to be very active in the use of firearms as a first resort and certainly not as a last resort," Peterson said. "There are alternatives, and they should be reviewed and pursued."
Last week, Deputy District Attorney Rob Bletko decided not to send the case to a grand jury because, he said, he didn't find criminal misconduct in police actions.
Thursday, Peterson said Bletko's analysis was based on a flawed investigation.
But on Thursday, Bletko said a different timeline of shots fired would not have altered his decision.
"If (Peterson) thinks the shots are closer together than the tape clearly indicates . . . that doesn't affect my decision," Bletko said. "It happened quickly. It doesn't take long to turn and move in a particular direction. But that doesn't change my decision."
At the news conference, Peterson --who wrote a letter to the Washington County Board of Commissioners and the city of Tigard Oct. 5 requesting a public inquest --criticized officials of those agencies for their silence.
"The legal counsel is reviewing the situation . . ., said Washington County Chairman Tom Brian. "The board is in limbo waiting and really can't comment further."
Tigard Mayor Craig Dirksen said Thursday afternoon that he had received Peterson's letter, but that he and members of the City Council didn't feel it was appropriate to respond.
"I guess I don't feel it's our place to do that. It really involves the Washington County Sheriff's Department and they need to be the ones to respond," Dirksen said. "If a decision was made to do an inquest, though, we would, of course, cooperate."
SUMMARY: Glenn death The attorney says deputies were too quick to fire at the Tigard-area youth
LAKE OSWEGO -- An attorney for the parents of a Tigard-area youth shot dead last month by Washington County sheriff's deputies said on Thursday the district attorney's review of the shooting was flawed.
In particular, Lake Oswego attorney Larry Peterson said deputies were too quick to fire at Lukus Glenn, 18, who had just been shot with beanbag rounds. He also said that Glenn was not running away, but instead reeling from the impact of the beanbag rounds when the deputies fired.
Police on Sept. 16 shot Glenn after his mother called 9-1-1, saying he was drunk, out of control and threatening the family. Deputies Mikhail Gerba and Tim Mateski and Tigard police officer Andrew Pastore confronted Glenn outside the home, and when he refused to drop a pocket knife, the officer shot him with bean bags and then the two deputies opened fire as Glenn moved toward the house.
Hope Glenn on Thursday blinked back tears as Peterson played the 9-1-1 tape of her son's shooting to a roomful of reporters in the attorney's office.
Holding up his fingers as the sound of beanbag rounds and then live rounds filled the room, Peterson told reporters to note that there was no gap between the beanbag shots and the bullets fired by the two sheriff's deputies.
"Where is the time gap?" Peterson asked. "Where is the time gap? There is no time gap. Citizens of Washington County should be able to rely on their 9-1-1 system and the law enforcement community."
In post-shooting interviews, Peterson said, police gave conflicting accounts of how much time elapsed. Peterson emphasized Gerba's version that Lukus Glenn exchanged words with his father, grandmother and police between the beanbag rounds and before the shots were fired. Peterson compared that with Pastore's comments that three to five seconds passed after he shot beanbag volleys and the deputies finished firing their guns.
Peterson also said he believed that --counter to what police have said in interviews --Glenn never ran toward his house, but was propelled by bean bags.
Sitting with her husband, Brad Glenn, Hope Glenn continued to press for a public inquest for the sake of the lessons the case holds.
"I don't think it should happen to anybody else," she said. "It didn't have to happen that way."
The shooting has raised questions in the community about police use of deadly force.
"We are training officers to be very active in the use of firearms as a first resort and certainly not as a last resort," Peterson said. "There are alternatives, and they should be reviewed and pursued."
Last week, Deputy District Attorney Rob Bletko decided not to send the case to a grand jury because, he said, he didn't find criminal misconduct in police actions.
Thursday, Peterson said Bletko's analysis was based on a flawed investigation.
But on Thursday, Bletko said a different timeline of shots fired would not have altered his decision.
"If (Peterson) thinks the shots are closer together than the tape clearly indicates . . . that doesn't affect my decision," Bletko said. "It happened quickly. It doesn't take long to turn and move in a particular direction. But that doesn't change my decision."
At the news conference, Peterson --who wrote a letter to the Washington County Board of Commissioners and the city of Tigard Oct. 5 requesting a public inquest --criticized officials of those agencies for their silence.
"The legal counsel is reviewing the situation . . ., said Washington County Chairman Tom Brian. "The board is in limbo waiting and really can't comment further."
Tigard Mayor Craig Dirksen said Thursday afternoon that he had received Peterson's letter, but that he and members of the City Council didn't feel it was appropriate to respond.
"I guess I don't feel it's our place to do that. It really involves the Washington County Sheriff's Department and they need to be the ones to respond," Dirksen said. "If a decision was made to do an inquest, though, we would, of course, cooperate."
Saturday, October 14, 2006
EDITORIAL: Teen's death demands public illumination
from The Oregonian
Last month, The Oregonian's Dana Tims reported that the fatal police shooting of a Tigard-area teenager had unfolded in accordance with standard operating procedure ("Experts say shooting death of teen went 'by the book,' " Sept. 20). Understandably, a collective shudder rippled through the region. It was as if people muttered in unison: Well, if that's so, then it's time to throw away the book.
Of course, that's an over-reaction. Of course, hindsight is 20-20. And of course, law enforcement officers have to make split-second decisions to protect themselves and other people from harm.
On Sept. 16, when officers arrived at the home of Lukus Glenn, they'd been advised that the distraught 18-year-old had made some threats against his family. At least one officer feared Glenn might rush inside and take a hostage.
Few of us would question what happened next if Glenn had been armed with a gun. If he'd refused to put that weapon down, you could understand why officers felt they had to shoot him. His death would be a sad, but straightforward, example of "suicide by cop."
But the former high school football and soccer star was armed with a pocketknife. Surely, there was a better way to approach Glenn that night. Surely, there was a better way --or at least a way --for the three officers at the scene to resolve the situation without gunfire.
This week, the Washington County district attorney's office ruled that the shooting death was legally justifiable. There is no need, the DA's office concluded, even for a grand jury to review the evidence. This ruling does not begin to put questions about Glenn's death to rest. If anything, the ruling confirms the inadequacy of the legal apparatus invoked after a police-involved death. That apparatus is set up to ask and answer a narrow question: Did the officers involved commit a crime?
Almost always, the answer is no. True, the Washington County Sheriff's Office has embarked on an administrative review of what happened, which could be very valuable. But like a ruling from a district attorney's office, no internal review can substitute for a public and independent airing of the facts.
What law enforcement colleagues decide about each other's actions is inherently suspect. It's too easy for them to sympathize with each other, defend and justify whatever happened. Only a public inquest can assure the public that the most painful questions about a death haven't been sidestepped.
What the public wants to know is: How could this death have been avoided? What could, and should, the law enforcement officers involved have done differently? If Glenn's death went by the book, then the book jeopardizes public safety.
We may not be able to throw it out, but we certainly need to change it.
Last month, The Oregonian's Dana Tims reported that the fatal police shooting of a Tigard-area teenager had unfolded in accordance with standard operating procedure ("Experts say shooting death of teen went 'by the book,' " Sept. 20). Understandably, a collective shudder rippled through the region. It was as if people muttered in unison: Well, if that's so, then it's time to throw away the book.
Of course, that's an over-reaction. Of course, hindsight is 20-20. And of course, law enforcement officers have to make split-second decisions to protect themselves and other people from harm.
On Sept. 16, when officers arrived at the home of Lukus Glenn, they'd been advised that the distraught 18-year-old had made some threats against his family. At least one officer feared Glenn might rush inside and take a hostage.
Few of us would question what happened next if Glenn had been armed with a gun. If he'd refused to put that weapon down, you could understand why officers felt they had to shoot him. His death would be a sad, but straightforward, example of "suicide by cop."
But the former high school football and soccer star was armed with a pocketknife. Surely, there was a better way to approach Glenn that night. Surely, there was a better way --or at least a way --for the three officers at the scene to resolve the situation without gunfire.
This week, the Washington County district attorney's office ruled that the shooting death was legally justifiable. There is no need, the DA's office concluded, even for a grand jury to review the evidence. This ruling does not begin to put questions about Glenn's death to rest. If anything, the ruling confirms the inadequacy of the legal apparatus invoked after a police-involved death. That apparatus is set up to ask and answer a narrow question: Did the officers involved commit a crime?
Almost always, the answer is no. True, the Washington County Sheriff's Office has embarked on an administrative review of what happened, which could be very valuable. But like a ruling from a district attorney's office, no internal review can substitute for a public and independent airing of the facts.
What law enforcement colleagues decide about each other's actions is inherently suspect. It's too easy for them to sympathize with each other, defend and justify whatever happened. Only a public inquest can assure the public that the most painful questions about a death haven't been sidestepped.
What the public wants to know is: How could this death have been avoided? What could, and should, the law enforcement officers involved have done differently? If Glenn's death went by the book, then the book jeopardizes public safety.
We may not be able to throw it out, but we certainly need to change it.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Police shooting 'legally justified'
The Oregonian, by Dana Tims and Kate Taylor
SUMMARY: Lukus Glenn The district attorney finds no cause for a grand jury in the death of a Tigard-area young man
HILLSBORO --The Washington County district attorney's office finished investigating the Sept. 16 shooting death of a Tigard-area youth Wednesday, calling the incident "tragic" but "legally justified."
Lukus Glenn's family, however, is not done with the case. On Wednesday, his mother and attorney criticized the decision and said they are considering a lawsuit.
As sheriff's officials launched an administrative review into deadly force policies and training Wednesday, members of the Glenn family renewed their call for a public inquest. They said they were disappointed that a grand jury would not look into the incident in which two Washington County sheriff's deputies shot and killed Glenn, 18, after he refused to put down a knife.
Hope Glenn called 9-1-1 about 3 a.m. that morning, saying her son was drunk, out of control and threatening the family. Minutes later, three officers arrived at the family's house. When the youth refused to drop the knife, an officer shot him with bean bags before the deputies opened fire as he moved toward the home.
"We're disappointed with the decision," said Larry K. Peterson, attorney for the Glenn family. He said he plans today to say more about the district attorney's decision and added that "all options are open" when asked whether the family plans to file a civil lawsuit.
The district attorney's office released several hundred pages of investigative notes, charts, interviews and medical reports Wednesday morning detailing the days, and minutes, that culminated in Glenn's early morning death.
"I have concluded that the shooting of Mr. Glenn, while tragic, was legally justified," wrote Rob Bletko, the county's chief deputy district attorney, in a letter to Washington County Sheriff Rob Gordon.
"The material facts surrounding the shooting are not in dispute. There is no good reason to believe that the deputies committed a crime, and therefore a grand jury review in this case is not warranted."
In a separate interview Wednesday, Bletko said he could find no legal basis for holding the public inquest Peterson called for late last week.
Statutory provisions for public inquests rest largely on whether key facts are in question, Bletko said. Those most often focus on disputes over the identity of the deceased, the determination of where and when a person died, and the cause and manner of death.
"In this particular case," he said, "all of the questions at issue are very clear. The medical examiner's report and supporting documents answer every one of those."
Peterson, however, said family members and friends of Glenn's, who were present during the brief but heated encounter with deputies Mikhail Gerba and Tim Mateski and Tigard police patrol officer Andrew Pastore, disagree with a number of the investigation's findings.
They dispute, for instance, deputies' contention that Glenn was shot only after he started running toward the house, where his mother, father and grandmother looked on.
Hope Glenn, Lukus Glenn's mother, said on Wednesday that her son was slowly staggering, not running, toward the house's front door. She has in the past told investigators that her son was trying to move around the side of the house to get away from the bean bags.
In interviews with investigators, all three officers at the scene said that Glenn, armed with a knife, either "ran" or "bolted" toward the house, even after Pastore shot him with at least five nonlethal bean bag rounds.
Shots' timing questioned
Family members and friends also said that the brief pause between the bean bags and the bullets was far too short for the officers to adequately evaluate the effects of the bean bags.
"They both shot simultaneously," Hope Glenn said. "You can hear that on the (9-1-1) tape."
Gerba, explaining why he opened fire so soon after the bean bags were used, again referred to Lukus Glenn's speed moving toward the residence, telling investigators, "I felt that we were either going to have a hostage situation or he was going to kill somebody in the house."
The bean bags themselves, he said, appeared to have little or no effect on Glenn.
"From what I looked at it, it looked like somebody just tossed something and just bounced off of him," Gerba said.
He added that the situation escalated so quickly that the officers had no time to discuss tactics or defensive strategies, such as positioning themselves between Glenn and the house or ordering the family to evacuate the house through a back door.
"I'm thinking, let's wait for more officers to get here," Gerba told investigators. "We need to come up with a plan."
Only seconds later, the fatal shots were fired, with Gerba shooting four times and Mateski seven. A total of eight bullets struck Glenn, according to medical reports, with two of those shots doing enough damage to be fatal.
Sheriff starts review
The Washington County Sheriff's Office has launched an administrative review into the shooting, said Chief Deputy Pat Garrett.
Since the district attorney's office determined the deputies violated no laws, the review will address additional or different tools, training or policies that could be used to help with similar situations, Garrett said.
The sheriff's office, he added, will consider bringing in nationally recognized experts and may accept suggestions from the public on the scope of the review.
Lt. John Black, the sheriff's training leader and expert in the use of force, said the failure of the bean bags to disable Glenn will be studied. He described the bean bags as 2-inch-wide bags filled with pellets that are packed into a shotgun and, when fired, travel at a rate of more than 400 feet per second.
"It's like getting hit with a hardball," Black said.
Deputies Gerba and Mateski returned to work several days ago, said Sgt. Michael O'Connell, head of the county's Major Crimes Team. Both deputies have received department-provided psychological assistance considered mandatory following fatal shootings, he said. They will continue to be evaluated in coming months.
"It's clear the events of the night of the 16th have been and will continue to be devastating to everyone involved," Garrett said.
Holly Danks of The Oregonian staff contributed to this story.
SUMMARY: Lukus Glenn The district attorney finds no cause for a grand jury in the death of a Tigard-area young man
HILLSBORO --The Washington County district attorney's office finished investigating the Sept. 16 shooting death of a Tigard-area youth Wednesday, calling the incident "tragic" but "legally justified."
Lukus Glenn's family, however, is not done with the case. On Wednesday, his mother and attorney criticized the decision and said they are considering a lawsuit.
As sheriff's officials launched an administrative review into deadly force policies and training Wednesday, members of the Glenn family renewed their call for a public inquest. They said they were disappointed that a grand jury would not look into the incident in which two Washington County sheriff's deputies shot and killed Glenn, 18, after he refused to put down a knife.
Hope Glenn called 9-1-1 about 3 a.m. that morning, saying her son was drunk, out of control and threatening the family. Minutes later, three officers arrived at the family's house. When the youth refused to drop the knife, an officer shot him with bean bags before the deputies opened fire as he moved toward the home.
"We're disappointed with the decision," said Larry K. Peterson, attorney for the Glenn family. He said he plans today to say more about the district attorney's decision and added that "all options are open" when asked whether the family plans to file a civil lawsuit.
The district attorney's office released several hundred pages of investigative notes, charts, interviews and medical reports Wednesday morning detailing the days, and minutes, that culminated in Glenn's early morning death.
"I have concluded that the shooting of Mr. Glenn, while tragic, was legally justified," wrote Rob Bletko, the county's chief deputy district attorney, in a letter to Washington County Sheriff Rob Gordon.
"The material facts surrounding the shooting are not in dispute. There is no good reason to believe that the deputies committed a crime, and therefore a grand jury review in this case is not warranted."
In a separate interview Wednesday, Bletko said he could find no legal basis for holding the public inquest Peterson called for late last week.
Statutory provisions for public inquests rest largely on whether key facts are in question, Bletko said. Those most often focus on disputes over the identity of the deceased, the determination of where and when a person died, and the cause and manner of death.
"In this particular case," he said, "all of the questions at issue are very clear. The medical examiner's report and supporting documents answer every one of those."
Peterson, however, said family members and friends of Glenn's, who were present during the brief but heated encounter with deputies Mikhail Gerba and Tim Mateski and Tigard police patrol officer Andrew Pastore, disagree with a number of the investigation's findings.
They dispute, for instance, deputies' contention that Glenn was shot only after he started running toward the house, where his mother, father and grandmother looked on.
Hope Glenn, Lukus Glenn's mother, said on Wednesday that her son was slowly staggering, not running, toward the house's front door. She has in the past told investigators that her son was trying to move around the side of the house to get away from the bean bags.
In interviews with investigators, all three officers at the scene said that Glenn, armed with a knife, either "ran" or "bolted" toward the house, even after Pastore shot him with at least five nonlethal bean bag rounds.
Shots' timing questioned
Family members and friends also said that the brief pause between the bean bags and the bullets was far too short for the officers to adequately evaluate the effects of the bean bags.
"They both shot simultaneously," Hope Glenn said. "You can hear that on the (9-1-1) tape."
Gerba, explaining why he opened fire so soon after the bean bags were used, again referred to Lukus Glenn's speed moving toward the residence, telling investigators, "I felt that we were either going to have a hostage situation or he was going to kill somebody in the house."
The bean bags themselves, he said, appeared to have little or no effect on Glenn.
"From what I looked at it, it looked like somebody just tossed something and just bounced off of him," Gerba said.
He added that the situation escalated so quickly that the officers had no time to discuss tactics or defensive strategies, such as positioning themselves between Glenn and the house or ordering the family to evacuate the house through a back door.
"I'm thinking, let's wait for more officers to get here," Gerba told investigators. "We need to come up with a plan."
Only seconds later, the fatal shots were fired, with Gerba shooting four times and Mateski seven. A total of eight bullets struck Glenn, according to medical reports, with two of those shots doing enough damage to be fatal.
Sheriff starts review
The Washington County Sheriff's Office has launched an administrative review into the shooting, said Chief Deputy Pat Garrett.
Since the district attorney's office determined the deputies violated no laws, the review will address additional or different tools, training or policies that could be used to help with similar situations, Garrett said.
The sheriff's office, he added, will consider bringing in nationally recognized experts and may accept suggestions from the public on the scope of the review.
Lt. John Black, the sheriff's training leader and expert in the use of force, said the failure of the bean bags to disable Glenn will be studied. He described the bean bags as 2-inch-wide bags filled with pellets that are packed into a shotgun and, when fired, travel at a rate of more than 400 feet per second.
"It's like getting hit with a hardball," Black said.
Deputies Gerba and Mateski returned to work several days ago, said Sgt. Michael O'Connell, head of the county's Major Crimes Team. Both deputies have received department-provided psychological assistance considered mandatory following fatal shootings, he said. They will continue to be evaluated in coming months.
"It's clear the events of the night of the 16th have been and will continue to be devastating to everyone involved," Garrett said.
Holly Danks of The Oregonian staff contributed to this story.
What's next
from The Oregonian
What happened: The Washington County district attorney's office said Wednesday it found that two sheriff's office deputies acted legally when they shot and killed Lukus Glenn, 18, outside his Tigard-area home Sept. 16.
What it means: Criminal charges will not be considered by a grand jury. The district attorney's office also declined to hold a public inquest sought by family members of Lukus Glenn.
What's ahead: The sheriff's office will launch an administrative review of the shooting that will focus on whether new or additional tools or policies may be useful in preventing similar outcomes in the future. Glenn's family is considering filing a civil suit stemming from the shooting.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Police faceoff ends with fatal shots
from The Oregonian, by Jill Rehkopf Smith
SUMMARY: Forest Grove A 45-year-old with a gun in each hand walks out of his apartment and confronts officers
FOREST GROVE --A 45-year-old man was shot and killed by officers Sunday night after police said he confronted them outside his apartment with a gun in each hand.
Forest Grove police identified the man as Neil Bruce Marcy. Three officers were involved in the shooting at the College Place Apartments, 2607 21st Ave.
"In terms of whether this was an attempted 'suicide by cop,' we're certainly looking at that as a possibility," said Capt. Aaron Ashbaugh, spokesman for the Forest Grove Police Department. "There's no question that he wanted to engage the police."
Barney Cogswell, who was staying next door with Ed and Donna Johnson in an apartment that now has bullet holes in the walls, said he heard police yelling, "Put down your guns!" and Marcy shouting, "You put yours down first."
Cogswell and the Johnsons were among those evacuated by police after the incident began.
The incident shocked neighbors, who described Marcy, a machine-shop worker who lived alone, as friendly and responsible. However, bartenders at a neighborhood tavern said Marcy could cause problems when he was drinking.
Ashbaugh could not confirm whether the investigation into Marcy's death will include testing for drugs or alcohol. The state medical examiner's office did not return calls for comment.
According to Ashbaugh, someone called
9-1-1 about 10:50 p.m. to report something about a shooting before quickly hanging up. Ashbaugh declined to say who made the call and said the Washington County Major Crimes Team, which is investigating the shooting, would release that information later.
When police arrived at the complex, they began taking cover, positioning themselves around Marcy's apartment and trying to talk him into a peaceful solution.
About 11:35 p.m., police saw Marcy walk outside with a pistol in his hand, fire it into the air and return inside, Ashbaugh said.
About 11:50 p.m., Marcy walked out the apartment door with a gun in each hand, Ashbaugh said. When Marcy raised his hands, officers shot and killed him. It is unclear how many shots were fired.
"It almost sounded like machine-gun fire," said Gary Alexander, who lives a few houses away from the apartment complex.
Two of the officers involved in the shooting were from the Forest Grove Police Department and one from the Cornelius Police Department. Following standard practice, the officers are on paid leave for about 10 days, Ashbaugh said. The names of the officers involved in the shooting will not be released until the Major Crimes Team finishes its investigation.
Marcy's death follows the shooting of 18-year-old Lukus Glenn by Washington County sheriff's deputies in Metzger last month. Deputies responded to the Glenn home Sept. 16 after reports that the intoxicated teen, armed with a pocket knife, was threatening others and himself.
Marcy had lived at the apartment complex for about two years, Ashbaugh said. According to public records, Marcy did not have a criminal history.
Neighbors described him as sociable and friendly. He brought food to last year's Thanksgiving celebration at the apartment complex. And he had befriended a stray cat. Monday morning, a dish with water and cat food still sat outside Marcy's apartment door.
Neighbors said Marcy has a sister who visited him frequently and also has an 18-year-old son.
The Johnsons sat outside Saturday night enjoying a beer with Marcy. They said he was talking about his job and was excited about switching companies and getting better pay. He was always respectful, Ed Johnson said: "He didn't cuss or anything."
But bartenders at the Circle Inn Tavern saw a different side.
Bartender Hannah Coates used to see Marcy every Saturday night when she worked the night shift months ago.
"He usually drank double shots of (Jose) Cuervo," she said. "Once he had that tequila in him, he was a totally different person." He would get rowdy and annoy customers, she said.
Three weeks ago, Coates said, the night bartender "eighty-sixed" Marcy, ordering him to leave and not to come back.
This is the second fatal police shooting Ashbaugh can recall in the city in 20 years. The other was in January 2003 at a manufactured home park, when a member of the Washington County Sheriff's Tactical Negotiations Team shot a man who appeared to be firing at neighbors and police.
SUMMARY: Forest Grove A 45-year-old with a gun in each hand walks out of his apartment and confronts officers
FOREST GROVE --A 45-year-old man was shot and killed by officers Sunday night after police said he confronted them outside his apartment with a gun in each hand.
Forest Grove police identified the man as Neil Bruce Marcy. Three officers were involved in the shooting at the College Place Apartments, 2607 21st Ave.
"In terms of whether this was an attempted 'suicide by cop,' we're certainly looking at that as a possibility," said Capt. Aaron Ashbaugh, spokesman for the Forest Grove Police Department. "There's no question that he wanted to engage the police."
Barney Cogswell, who was staying next door with Ed and Donna Johnson in an apartment that now has bullet holes in the walls, said he heard police yelling, "Put down your guns!" and Marcy shouting, "You put yours down first."
Cogswell and the Johnsons were among those evacuated by police after the incident began.
The incident shocked neighbors, who described Marcy, a machine-shop worker who lived alone, as friendly and responsible. However, bartenders at a neighborhood tavern said Marcy could cause problems when he was drinking.
Ashbaugh could not confirm whether the investigation into Marcy's death will include testing for drugs or alcohol. The state medical examiner's office did not return calls for comment.
According to Ashbaugh, someone called
9-1-1 about 10:50 p.m. to report something about a shooting before quickly hanging up. Ashbaugh declined to say who made the call and said the Washington County Major Crimes Team, which is investigating the shooting, would release that information later.
When police arrived at the complex, they began taking cover, positioning themselves around Marcy's apartment and trying to talk him into a peaceful solution.
About 11:35 p.m., police saw Marcy walk outside with a pistol in his hand, fire it into the air and return inside, Ashbaugh said.
About 11:50 p.m., Marcy walked out the apartment door with a gun in each hand, Ashbaugh said. When Marcy raised his hands, officers shot and killed him. It is unclear how many shots were fired.
"It almost sounded like machine-gun fire," said Gary Alexander, who lives a few houses away from the apartment complex.
Two of the officers involved in the shooting were from the Forest Grove Police Department and one from the Cornelius Police Department. Following standard practice, the officers are on paid leave for about 10 days, Ashbaugh said. The names of the officers involved in the shooting will not be released until the Major Crimes Team finishes its investigation.
Marcy's death follows the shooting of 18-year-old Lukus Glenn by Washington County sheriff's deputies in Metzger last month. Deputies responded to the Glenn home Sept. 16 after reports that the intoxicated teen, armed with a pocket knife, was threatening others and himself.
Marcy had lived at the apartment complex for about two years, Ashbaugh said. According to public records, Marcy did not have a criminal history.
Neighbors described him as sociable and friendly. He brought food to last year's Thanksgiving celebration at the apartment complex. And he had befriended a stray cat. Monday morning, a dish with water and cat food still sat outside Marcy's apartment door.
Neighbors said Marcy has a sister who visited him frequently and also has an 18-year-old son.
The Johnsons sat outside Saturday night enjoying a beer with Marcy. They said he was talking about his job and was excited about switching companies and getting better pay. He was always respectful, Ed Johnson said: "He didn't cuss or anything."
But bartenders at the Circle Inn Tavern saw a different side.
Bartender Hannah Coates used to see Marcy every Saturday night when she worked the night shift months ago.
"He usually drank double shots of (Jose) Cuervo," she said. "Once he had that tequila in him, he was a totally different person." He would get rowdy and annoy customers, she said.
Three weeks ago, Coates said, the night bartender "eighty-sixed" Marcy, ordering him to leave and not to come back.
This is the second fatal police shooting Ashbaugh can recall in the city in 20 years. The other was in January 2003 at a manufactured home park, when a member of the Washington County Sheriff's Tactical Negotiations Team shot a man who appeared to be firing at neighbors and police.
Monday, October 9, 2006
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR -10/9/06
Who supplied the alcohol?
I've read the accusations of "inept" police and grieved for a mother who wishes she'd never called 9-1-1 about her son's behavior. But how about considering the real cause of the tragedy? Who gave Lukus Glenn the alcohol that resulted in his intoxication?
"Drunk" is not a rational state for anyone, but the usual highs and lows of simply being 18 years old may exacerbate the effects. The real villain is the supplier of alcohol to someone not of legal drinking age.
DAR YOUNG
Tigard
I've read the accusations of "inept" police and grieved for a mother who wishes she'd never called 9-1-1 about her son's behavior. But how about considering the real cause of the tragedy? Who gave Lukus Glenn the alcohol that resulted in his intoxication?
"Drunk" is not a rational state for anyone, but the usual highs and lows of simply being 18 years old may exacerbate the effects. The real villain is the supplier of alcohol to someone not of legal drinking age.
DAR YOUNG
Tigard
Friday, October 6, 2006
Family of teen seeks inquest in his shooting
from The Oregonian, by Kate Taylor
The family of Lukus Glenn on Thursday called for a public inquest into the 18-year-old's fatal shooting by Washington County sheriff's deputies last month near Tigard.
The request, made in a letter written by the family's attorney, Larry K. Peterson of Lake Oswego, asks in particular that the Washington County Board of Commissioners and the Tigard City Council also ask for a public inquest.
Sheriff's deputies responded to the Glenn home Sept. 16 after reports that the intoxicated teen was breaking windows and, armed with a pocket knife, was threatening others and himself.
The Washington County Major Crimes Team, made up of detectives from several different local agencies, is still investigating the death.
Tom Brian of the Washington County Board of Commissioners was not available for comment, but in a letter signed by four other commissioners and published in The Oregonian on Thursday, he asks the public to patiently wait for the investigation to be done.
Commissioners, he writes, are "respectful of the difficult decisions law enforcement officers must make every day to ensure our safety."
But because of misleading comments from law enforcement, Peterson said, the Glenn family has "lost confidence in Washington County's ability to perform the full and fair investigation that has been promised to the public."
Now, he said, "the Glenns do not believe a grand jury proceeding alone will fully and fairly address the circumstances of Luke's death . . . the grand jury proceeding is also not transparent as it is conducted entirely in secret."
Thursday, October 5, 2006
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - 10/5/06
from The Oregonian
Be patient during probe
We are all saddened by the death of Lukus Glenn, and our hearts go out to his family. We are also respectful of the difficult decisions that law enforcement officers from all agencies must make every day to ensure our safety.
As readers may know, an investigation about the Metzger shooting is under way by the district attorney's office and the Washington County Major Crimes Team. Highly experienced detectives from a half-dozen law enforcement agencies in Washington County, under the leadership of the district attorney, are thoroughly gathering and analyzing all available information about this tragic incident.
Like everyone else concerned about the loss of a life and the impact of such an incident on the family of the young man, as well as the deputies and their families, we must await the results of the district attorney's review. The district attorney's function is limited to determining whether any criminal charges are warranted as a result of anyone's conduct in connection with this incident and whether to present the case to a grand jury.
The sheriff and his staff also carefully review every incident involving the use of force by deputies. They examine whether existing policies are followed; they will determine whether policy changes are needed and work to ensure that deputies have access to all the resources and equipment needed to successfully resolve such incidents without resorting to deadly force if possible. Through this effort, they will also identify lessons learned that can be included in the regular use-of-force training received by all deputies.
Please join us in patiently waiting for the time necessary to obtain the results of these thorough and impartial investigations.
Chairman Tom Brian and the Washington County Board of Commissioners
Be patient during probe
We are all saddened by the death of Lukus Glenn, and our hearts go out to his family. We are also respectful of the difficult decisions that law enforcement officers from all agencies must make every day to ensure our safety.
As readers may know, an investigation about the Metzger shooting is under way by the district attorney's office and the Washington County Major Crimes Team. Highly experienced detectives from a half-dozen law enforcement agencies in Washington County, under the leadership of the district attorney, are thoroughly gathering and analyzing all available information about this tragic incident.
Like everyone else concerned about the loss of a life and the impact of such an incident on the family of the young man, as well as the deputies and their families, we must await the results of the district attorney's review. The district attorney's function is limited to determining whether any criminal charges are warranted as a result of anyone's conduct in connection with this incident and whether to present the case to a grand jury.
The sheriff and his staff also carefully review every incident involving the use of force by deputies. They examine whether existing policies are followed; they will determine whether policy changes are needed and work to ensure that deputies have access to all the resources and equipment needed to successfully resolve such incidents without resorting to deadly force if possible. Through this effort, they will also identify lessons learned that can be included in the regular use-of-force training received by all deputies.
Please join us in patiently waiting for the time necessary to obtain the results of these thorough and impartial investigations.
Chairman Tom Brian and the Washington County Board of Commissioners
LETTERS - 10/5/06
from The Oregonian
County examines death
We are saddened by the death of Lukus Glenn and our hearts go out to his family. We are also respectful of the difficult decisions law enforcement officers must make every day to ensure our safety.
An investigation about the shooting is under way by the district attorney's office and the Washington County Major Crimes Team. Experienced detectives from a half-dozen law enforcement agencies, under the leadership of the Washington County district attorney, are analyzing information about this tragic incident.
Like everyone else concerned about the loss of a life and the impact on the family of the young man as well as the deputies and their families, we must await results of the review. The district attorney is limited to determining whether criminal charges are warranted and whether to present the case to a grand jury.
The sheriff and his staff also carefully review every incident involving the use of force by deputies. They examine whether policies are followed; they will determine whether policy changes are needed and work to ensure that deputies have access to resources and equipment needed to resolve such incidents without resorting to deadly force if possible. They will also identify lessons learned that can be included in the regular use-of-force training received by all deputies.
Please join us in patiently waiting for the time necessary to obtain the results of these thorough and impartial investigations.
Chairman Tom Brian
co-signed by four county
commissioners
Washington County Board
of Commissioners
County examines death
We are saddened by the death of Lukus Glenn and our hearts go out to his family. We are also respectful of the difficult decisions law enforcement officers must make every day to ensure our safety.
An investigation about the shooting is under way by the district attorney's office and the Washington County Major Crimes Team. Experienced detectives from a half-dozen law enforcement agencies, under the leadership of the Washington County district attorney, are analyzing information about this tragic incident.
Like everyone else concerned about the loss of a life and the impact on the family of the young man as well as the deputies and their families, we must await results of the review. The district attorney is limited to determining whether criminal charges are warranted and whether to present the case to a grand jury.
The sheriff and his staff also carefully review every incident involving the use of force by deputies. They examine whether policies are followed; they will determine whether policy changes are needed and work to ensure that deputies have access to resources and equipment needed to resolve such incidents without resorting to deadly force if possible. They will also identify lessons learned that can be included in the regular use-of-force training received by all deputies.
Please join us in patiently waiting for the time necessary to obtain the results of these thorough and impartial investigations.
Chairman Tom Brian
co-signed by four county
commissioners
Washington County Board
of Commissioners
Wednesday, October 4, 2006
High alcohol level in youth killed by police
from The Oregonian, by Dana Tims
SUMMARY: Autopsy No other drugs are found in Lukus Glenn, and the case might be headed to a grand jury
Lukus Glenn's blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit when he was shot and killed by two Washington County sheriff's deputies Sept. 16, according to a deputy state medical examiner.
Glenn, an 18-year-old former high school soccer and football star, had a blood alcohol level of .18 at the time of his death, said Dr. Larry Lewman. Oregon's legal limit is .08.
Additional toxicology tests showed that the Tigard-area teen had no other prescription or illegal drugs in his system at the time of the shooting, Lewman said.
An autopsy showed that two of the eight bullets that struck Glenn inflicted fatal injuries by severing large pelvic arteries. Non-fatal shots also struck Glenn in the legs, buttocks, lower back and right shoulder, Lewman said.
Meanwhile, a Washington County prosecutor said Tuesday that he will decide early next week whether to present facts surrounding the early morning shooting to a grand jury.
Rob Bletko, the county's chief deputy district attorney, said all investigative reports detailing Glenn's shooting should be on his desk as early as Friday.
Bletko said he will review the reports for several days before deciding either to ask for more information or take the case directly to a grand jury for possible criminal indictments. He said he could also conclude that the reports are sufficient, but that a grand jury presentation isn't warranted.
Among the topics Bletko hopes to see covered in the investigative documents is where Glenn obtained the alcohol he drank prior to the shooting.
Two Washington County sheriff's deputies, responding to a frantic 9-1-1 call for help from Glenn's mother, shot the young man after he refused to drop the knife he was holding and headed back into his house, which contained family members.
Only 10 minutes elapsed from the time Hope Glenn called police at 3:05 a.m. and the time her son lay dead near the family's front door step. Lukus Glenn was described by family members as extremely distraught and inebriated in the minutes leading up to the shooting.
In a related item, the Wilson High School girls soccer team has raised more than $3,000 through sales of T-shirts bearing the word HOPE --Help Officers Peacefully Enforce --in part to memorialize Lukus Glenn and honor Hope Glenn. Many girls at Wilson High are or have been coached by Hope Glenn. Proceeds from the sales will go to local police agencies to help provide enhanced training in crisis intervention.
The T-shirts will be available on the school's Web site, www.wilsonhs.com, in a day or two, according to school officials.
SUMMARY: Autopsy No other drugs are found in Lukus Glenn, and the case might be headed to a grand jury
Lukus Glenn's blood alcohol content was more than twice the legal limit when he was shot and killed by two Washington County sheriff's deputies Sept. 16, according to a deputy state medical examiner.
Glenn, an 18-year-old former high school soccer and football star, had a blood alcohol level of .18 at the time of his death, said Dr. Larry Lewman. Oregon's legal limit is .08.
Additional toxicology tests showed that the Tigard-area teen had no other prescription or illegal drugs in his system at the time of the shooting, Lewman said.
An autopsy showed that two of the eight bullets that struck Glenn inflicted fatal injuries by severing large pelvic arteries. Non-fatal shots also struck Glenn in the legs, buttocks, lower back and right shoulder, Lewman said.
Meanwhile, a Washington County prosecutor said Tuesday that he will decide early next week whether to present facts surrounding the early morning shooting to a grand jury.
Rob Bletko, the county's chief deputy district attorney, said all investigative reports detailing Glenn's shooting should be on his desk as early as Friday.
Bletko said he will review the reports for several days before deciding either to ask for more information or take the case directly to a grand jury for possible criminal indictments. He said he could also conclude that the reports are sufficient, but that a grand jury presentation isn't warranted.
Among the topics Bletko hopes to see covered in the investigative documents is where Glenn obtained the alcohol he drank prior to the shooting.
Two Washington County sheriff's deputies, responding to a frantic 9-1-1 call for help from Glenn's mother, shot the young man after he refused to drop the knife he was holding and headed back into his house, which contained family members.
Only 10 minutes elapsed from the time Hope Glenn called police at 3:05 a.m. and the time her son lay dead near the family's front door step. Lukus Glenn was described by family members as extremely distraught and inebriated in the minutes leading up to the shooting.
In a related item, the Wilson High School girls soccer team has raised more than $3,000 through sales of T-shirts bearing the word HOPE --Help Officers Peacefully Enforce --in part to memorialize Lukus Glenn and honor Hope Glenn. Many girls at Wilson High are or have been coached by Hope Glenn. Proceeds from the sales will go to local police agencies to help provide enhanced training in crisis intervention.
The T-shirts will be available on the school's Web site, www.wilsonhs.com, in a day or two, according to school officials.
Monday, October 2, 2006
Police training seems to ensure fatal outcomes
from The Oregonian, by Andy Parker
Ray O'Driscoll's the first to say he's nothing special, just a retired guy with a new hammock and some Old World views of cop work.
He and his wife, Claudia, live in the hills out beyond Colton, a place where thick fingers of moss drip from tree limbs and backyards spill seamlessly into sprawling federal forests.
They moved to Oregon 32 years ago from the Bay Area. They'd tired of all the congestion. And after 12 years of cop work in cities outside San Francisco, Ray was ready for a change.
After a variety of jobs, he spent his last years before retirement as Oregon City's code compliance officer.
During his years as a police officer, O'Driscoll never shot anybody. But he knows what it feels like to break up a bar brawl and wake up later trying to recall what kind of beer bottle hit you.
It was just part of the job, he says, a job where you get paid to take necessary risks. No risks, no gain.
It's a concept he believes is foreign to today's police training.
O'Driscoll likes cops. He's torn about speaking out because he knows how tough the work is. He knows most police officers, even those who kill someone, are just hard-working guys doing what they've been trained to do.
And that's precisely the problem.
In his years of police work in the Bay Area, he knew some cops who shot bad guys, some who got shot. But back in the 1960s and '70s, he says, cops were taught to use their 2-foot-long batons as a defensive tool to defuse potentially violent situations.
It didn't always work. Sometimes you got hurt. But these days, most cops don't even carry batons. It's as if it's all designed so police officers never have to touch anyone and rarely put themselves at risk, he said. And that is a sure way to guarantee more fatal endings to routine incidents.
O'Driscoll wrote a letter to the editor last week about the fatal police shooting of an 18-year-old Tigard man. His letter was responding to a Portland police officer who wrote: "I seriously doubt anyone who is being critical of the Lukus Glenn slaying has ever had to face that kind of situation."
In his response, O'Driscoll wrote, "An officer who has taken the step to end another person's life is hardly an expert on other possible options. . . . And I do believe that three officers facing a drunk teenager with a 3-inch knife could have disarmed him."
To be clear, O'Driscoll doesn't believe his own time as a cop makes him an expert on anything. But it arms him with enough experience to ask reasonable questions that deserve reasonable answers.
We can all recite the outcome of any police-involved shooting:
The internal investigation that finds police followed regulations and clears officers of any wrongdoing.
The grand jury that follows the recommendation of the district attorney and finds no crime has occurred.
The district attorney who refuses to investigate his colleagues any further.
In many police-involved shootings, that outcome is appropriate. But that doesn't explain the shootings. It doesn't explain the training or why we're supposed to believe cops almost never shoot at the wrong time.
O'Driscoll believes nothing will change until voters see a need and demand it. And he isn't holding his breath. "The problem is most people know cops or someone involved in law enforcement. And they know they are good people doing a difficult job."
Understandably, he says, it's the same within the ranks of police officers. "I was the same way. Whenever a cop kills someone in the line of duty, police say two things: 'Thank God I didn't have to pull the trigger.' And 'We've got to stand behind that guy.' "
That seems to sum up our blueprint for ensuring more and more police-involved shootings.
Until law enforcement leaders push for dramatic change, said O'Driscoll, police training will continue to center on protecting innocent bystanders and police at all costs.
"Basically," he said, "the current policy is, 'Shoot first, explain later.' "
Ray O'Driscoll's the first to say he's nothing special, just a retired guy with a new hammock and some Old World views of cop work.
He and his wife, Claudia, live in the hills out beyond Colton, a place where thick fingers of moss drip from tree limbs and backyards spill seamlessly into sprawling federal forests.
They moved to Oregon 32 years ago from the Bay Area. They'd tired of all the congestion. And after 12 years of cop work in cities outside San Francisco, Ray was ready for a change.
After a variety of jobs, he spent his last years before retirement as Oregon City's code compliance officer.
During his years as a police officer, O'Driscoll never shot anybody. But he knows what it feels like to break up a bar brawl and wake up later trying to recall what kind of beer bottle hit you.
It was just part of the job, he says, a job where you get paid to take necessary risks. No risks, no gain.
It's a concept he believes is foreign to today's police training.
O'Driscoll likes cops. He's torn about speaking out because he knows how tough the work is. He knows most police officers, even those who kill someone, are just hard-working guys doing what they've been trained to do.
And that's precisely the problem.
In his years of police work in the Bay Area, he knew some cops who shot bad guys, some who got shot. But back in the 1960s and '70s, he says, cops were taught to use their 2-foot-long batons as a defensive tool to defuse potentially violent situations.
It didn't always work. Sometimes you got hurt. But these days, most cops don't even carry batons. It's as if it's all designed so police officers never have to touch anyone and rarely put themselves at risk, he said. And that is a sure way to guarantee more fatal endings to routine incidents.
O'Driscoll wrote a letter to the editor last week about the fatal police shooting of an 18-year-old Tigard man. His letter was responding to a Portland police officer who wrote: "I seriously doubt anyone who is being critical of the Lukus Glenn slaying has ever had to face that kind of situation."
In his response, O'Driscoll wrote, "An officer who has taken the step to end another person's life is hardly an expert on other possible options. . . . And I do believe that three officers facing a drunk teenager with a 3-inch knife could have disarmed him."
To be clear, O'Driscoll doesn't believe his own time as a cop makes him an expert on anything. But it arms him with enough experience to ask reasonable questions that deserve reasonable answers.
We can all recite the outcome of any police-involved shooting:
The internal investigation that finds police followed regulations and clears officers of any wrongdoing.
The grand jury that follows the recommendation of the district attorney and finds no crime has occurred.
The district attorney who refuses to investigate his colleagues any further.
In many police-involved shootings, that outcome is appropriate. But that doesn't explain the shootings. It doesn't explain the training or why we're supposed to believe cops almost never shoot at the wrong time.
O'Driscoll believes nothing will change until voters see a need and demand it. And he isn't holding his breath. "The problem is most people know cops or someone involved in law enforcement. And they know they are good people doing a difficult job."
Understandably, he says, it's the same within the ranks of police officers. "I was the same way. Whenever a cop kills someone in the line of duty, police say two things: 'Thank God I didn't have to pull the trigger.' And 'We've got to stand behind that guy.' "
That seems to sum up our blueprint for ensuring more and more police-involved shootings.
Until law enforcement leaders push for dramatic change, said O'Driscoll, police training will continue to center on protecting innocent bystanders and police at all costs.
"Basically," he said, "the current policy is, 'Shoot first, explain later.' "
Sunday, October 1, 2006
600 mourners share in loving celebration of Lukus Glenn's life
from The Oregonian, by Kate Taylor
SUMMARY: 9-1-1 shooting His compassion and smile are recalled, and a HOPE shirt is unveiled
TIGARD --Lukus Glenn's death on Sept. 16 was sudden, violent and followed by anguished questions about how police and community agencies should handle teenagers in crisis.
His memorial on Saturday, by contrast, was empty of such questions and full of memories and images loved ones hold of the 18-year-old football star.
After about 600 people filled Tigard High School's Deb Fennell Auditorium, former coaches and friends spoke of his skills as a kicker as well as his compassion and gift for making people laugh.
Glenn was often late to class, said Scott Gilsdorf, a Tigard High School English teacher. But when he was, Glenn would approach his teacher sheepishly, usually with a mocha for Gilsdorf or a little leftover lunch to share.
As many of Glenn's friends and family laughed in recognition, Gilsdorf said, "He'd always have that great, great smile, and huge, huge dimples." Glenn was always the one with the bag of Doritos and salsa to share in the back of the classroom, his teacher said.
Police --who shot Glenn in the early morning hours after his mother called 9-1-1 to report that he was drunk and threatening himself and others with a knife --were mentioned only on a T-shirt worn and sold by many of his friends at the memorial.
The T-shirt bears the word HOPE and, underneath, the phrase Help Officers Peacefully Enforce. Proceeds from the T-shirt, students and parents said, will go to local police departments to help provide more police officers with training in ending a crisis peaceably.
Two Washington County sheriff's deputies are on routine leave until an investigation is complete. Rob Bletko, Washington County's chief deputy district attorney, said he expects to take one more week before determining whether to present the case to a grand jury.
Several at the memorial talked about how difficult it is to understand how Glenn died. The youth spent the hours leading up to the shooting having dinner with his girlfriend and her parents, going to a football game and then to a party in Tigard.
"If you keep asking yourself that, you can drive yourself crazy," said Frank Geske, one of Glenn's mentors and former coaches. "God's ways are not our ways, and our ways are not God's ways."
One thing Geske has decided to do as a result of his young friend's death, he said, is to make a list of everyone he loves and put a check next to the name of everyone he's said "I love you" to.
"There are some I still need to do," Geske said. "And there is one I want to do (now). Luke, I am proud of you, and Luke, I love you."
Most who took the podium spoke directly to Hope Glenn, Luke Glenn's mother and a longtime soccer coach who had worked with many teens at the memorial. They spoke of how the community must come together and remember to care for her and her husband, Brad Glenn.
Eddie Phillips, a close friend of Luke Glenn's and one of Hope Glenn's soccer students, ended his talk with a poem he'd written for her. As he spoke the poem's last lines, at least 30 young men stood up and turned to her, where she sat with her husband. Then, slowly, the entire auditorium stood and clapped to show her their support.
Hope, it's already done,
I want to tell you that Luke wasn't your only son,
You've helped me grow and helped raise me into a man,
You've been a second mom to me since classic soccer began.
You have so many boys, Hope, even in this room,
We love you so much and I am easily able to assume,
That they all feel like me, and as we talk to each other,
We have so much respect for you,
Are comfortable calling you mother.
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