from The Oregonian
SEPTEMBER
Washington County sheriff's deputies respond to a call for help in unincorporated Washington County, north of Tigard, after reports that a drunken teen armed with a pocket knife is breaking windows and threatening himself and others. Within about four minutes of the deputies' arrival, a Tigard police officer fires nonlethal beanbag rounds at 18-year-old Lukus Glenn. Then two sheriff's deputies shoot him to death. In October, the county district attorney's office upholds the officers' actions, declining to send the case to a grand jury.
Thursday, December 28, 2006
2006: Highlights, lowlights and other Dubious Distinctions
from The Oregonian
Sweet, sad, big, small, infinite, fleeting. News in Washington County covered all the adjectives in 2006.
The year was as sweet as the 12-year-old Murrayhill ballplayers who ventured across the country and came oh-so-close to winning a world championship. And it was as sad as sheriff's deputies killing Lukus Glenn, an out-of-control teenager, outside his Tigard-area home.
A fatal plane crash jeopardized the future of the Hillsboro air show. Then last week, show organizers snagged the U.S. Navy Blue Angels for 2007.
In Beaverton, the conjunction of two small animals --a cat and an iguana --caused an apartment fire.
Some sagas seemed never ending: Nike versus Beaverton, county Fair Board versus fair boosters. Other stories were fleeting: A Hillsboro teenager got in trouble for pulling his socks up high.
And some stories are becoming all too familiar. Three of the county's young men died in military service in Iraq.
Here's our recap of the moments that made us smile, cringe or cry over the past year --with hopes that we'll see more of the first in 2007.
Boys of summer: Murrayhill Little League took fans on a wild ride when the 12- and 13-year-olds became the first Oregon team in 48 years to earn a trip to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. The team ended up in third place.
Top cops: The Beaverton Police Department was one of three winners worldwide of the Webber Seavey Award, recognized for its identity theft and fraud prevention program. The department shared the honor, sponsored by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and Motorola, with the District Police in Nalgonda, India, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Win some: Wal-Mart won approval from the Cornelius City Council to build a supercenter on North Adair Street.
Lose some: After a monthslong battle, Wal-Mart's plans to put a store in the Cedar Mill area ultimately were rejected by the Beaverton City Council.
Putting the "wall" in Wal-Mart: A Forest Grove official offended neighbors in Cornelius when he suggested building a 600-foot wall next to a proposed Wal-Mart to keep shoplifters and thieves out of his community. "The implication is people from Cornelius are going to be stealing things and running into Forest Grove," Cornelius planner Catherine Sidman huffed.
Good intentions, bad timeliness: New city manager David Waffle praised the Cornelius City Council in January for posting its newsletter on the Web in both English and Spanish. He noted, however, that the newsletter currently posted was a year old.
Best sense of humor: Waffle started a weekly online briefing he called "Hot Off the Griddle."
Oh, that trip to Hawaii: Sen. Ryan Deckert, D-Beaverton, and Sen. Bruce Starr and Rep. Derrick Kitts, both R-Hillsboro, were among legislators who got in hot water when it was revealed they violated state law by not reporting trips to Hawaii paid for by beer and wine distributors in 2002 and 2004.
It's not the Big Island, but . . . Rep. Mark Hass, D-Raleigh Hills, acknowledged that he failed to report a 2003 trip to Idaho paid for by Idaho Power Co.
Best proof history repeats itself: Al Young lost his May primary bid for Metro councilor after it came out that he owed the county nearly $13,000 in back taxes. Young, a former state representative from Hillsboro, got in trouble in 1989 for owing $25,000 in back taxes on some of the same property.
Dogs gone: Organizers of a dog show expected to draw 2,000 dogs and twice that many people pulled out of the Washington County Fair Complex after they found out the Oregon International Airshow was scheduled for the same July weekend at neighboring Hillsboro Airport.
A fair to forget: Opus Northwest dropped out of a deal to redevelop the county fairgrounds. Company officials said two years of community bickering about what should happen with the property made their job impossible.
Sir Lancelot to the rescue? A Renaissance festival company proposed a 20-year lease to put on a medieval fair, including jesters and jousters, at the fairgrounds. The deal could be worth $500,000 annually to the county.
Most animated undertaking: Nike founder Phil Knight announced plans to build a 30-acre campus in Tualatin to house his animation studio, Laika Entertainment.
In other film news: DVD rental company Netflix Inc. announced it would move its customer service operation from the Bay Area to Tanasbourne.
Best hero, confectionery division: Jake Stubbs, a Glencoe High senior, used the Heimlich maneuver to save a classmate choking on a Jolly Rancher lollipop.
Best heroes, fire division: Kevin O'Keeffe and Peter Bradshaw of Aloha were honored for saving a neighbor's life in an early morning fire. The men pounded on the front door and rescued the wheelchair-dependent resident, who was in bed, before firefighters arrived.
Best hero, primatologist division: Jane Goodall, the celebrity primate expert, named Washo Shadowhawk, a Beaverton teen, as one of her heroes for his volunteer work with Roots & Shoots and the Oregon Zoo.
The Crips, the Bloods and the Socks: Hillsboro school officials sent sophomore Luis Vargas home in October for pulling his socks to the knees, a look they say is sported by local gang members. "I don't dress like this all the time," Vargas said. "I wear nice shirts and pants. But when I wear shorts, I pull up my socks. That's just an outfit I have."
Who knew world records were like potato chips? Hillsboro set a new Guinness World Record in August for the most people wearing balloon hats at one location: 1,874. The milestone stirred hopes of fresh conquests. "We want to have more records in Guinness than any other city," said Mayor Tom Hughes, mentioning clown noses as one possibility.
High price of government screw-ups, Part I: The federal government agreed to pay Brandon Mayfield and his family $2 million for the emotional toll they suffered after the Aloha lawyer was wrongly jailed in connection with the deadly Madrid, Spain, train bombings of 2004.
High price of government screw-ups, Part II: Beaverton's legal bills approached $500,000 in its fight with Nike over public records related to annexation. The tab could grow considerably in January, depending how much of Nike's legal bills a Washington County judge orders the city to pay. The same judge ruled that city officials were in contempt of court for withholding records.
Tired of being like Mike: Allen Heckard, 51, of Northeast Portland filed suit in Washington County seeking more than $800 million from Michael Jordan and Nike founder Phil Knight. Heckard claimed his resemblance to the NBA star had denied him "the right to live a normal life." A few weeks later, Heckard dropped the suit.
The show must go on: A vintage British jet fighter crashed seconds after taking off from the Oregon International Airshow in July. The crash killed the pilot, destroyed one house and damaged three others near Hillsboro Airport. After months of debate, air show organizers vowed the show would return next summer and announced in December that the U.S. Navy Blue Angels would be the headliners.
Best real-life Mr. Chips: Intel donated nearly $207,000 to Washington County public schools to match volunteer hours its employees contributed. The company also donated 200 Gateway laptops valued at $350,000 to a pilot technology program at four schools, including Tom McCall Upper Elementary School in Forest Grove.
No velvet Elvis: Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette earned $165,002 when it auctioned a donated painting from its Hillsboro store. What was thought to be cheap yard-sale art turned out to be painted by Frank Weston Benson, a French-trained American impressionist.
Most valedictorians: Westview High School named every senior who earned a 4.0 grade-point average a valedictorian: 75 students shared the honor.
Most new combinations: Tigard High School had to change 2,000 locker combinations after a 17-year-old student hacked into the school's computer system and posted locker combinations online, along with teachers' home addresses, phone numbers and e-mail passwords.
Easing the road to college: In February, the Beaverton School District became the first in Oregon to pay for all its high-schoolers to take ACT exams, which most colleges and universities accept for admission. Nearly 9,000 students took the tests.
Easing the road to, um, Wilsonville: Construction started in October on a 14.7-mile commuter rail line between Beaverton and Wilsonville.
Most generous: Voters in the November election agreed to open their wallets, passing bond measures in the Beaverton and Hillsboro school districts, as well as county levies to pay for public safety and libraries.
Worst news for homeowners: Residents of three Cedar Hills manufactured home parks, totaling 218 spaces, joined mobile home owners throughout the county in finding out they would lose their spaces in the next year. Development pressure makes the land more valuable for other uses, but it's often impossible to find new sites for older homes.
Little people, big audience: TLC, The Learning Channel, made stars of Helvetia residents Matt and Amy Roloff and their four children in a cable reality show called "Little People, Big World." By the end of the year, more than 1.6 million viewers were tuning in to watch the adventures of the family that includes three members who have dwarfism.
Little people, big accident: A pumpkin-chunkin' event turned dangerous for the Roloffs when a trebuchet, a catapultlike machine used to launch pumpkins, injured their 9-year-old son and the man who helped build the device.
Worst dating strategy: An Aloha woman was sentenced to probation and community service after she called 9-1-1, wanting the name of the deputy who had knocked on her door after neighbors complained her music was too loud. The 45-year-old woman told the emergency dispatcher the deputy was "the cutest cop I've seen in God knows how long." The deputy returned and arrested her for improper use of the 9-1-1 emergency system.
Worst spurned lover: Albertson's managers asked a customer to quit coming to the Peterkort store after his attentions and love letters made a clerk uncomfortable. The thwarted Romeo responded by slashing tires on 56 cars in the parking lot.
Sweet, sad, big, small, infinite, fleeting. News in Washington County covered all the adjectives in 2006.
The year was as sweet as the 12-year-old Murrayhill ballplayers who ventured across the country and came oh-so-close to winning a world championship. And it was as sad as sheriff's deputies killing Lukus Glenn, an out-of-control teenager, outside his Tigard-area home.
A fatal plane crash jeopardized the future of the Hillsboro air show. Then last week, show organizers snagged the U.S. Navy Blue Angels for 2007.
In Beaverton, the conjunction of two small animals --a cat and an iguana --caused an apartment fire.
Some sagas seemed never ending: Nike versus Beaverton, county Fair Board versus fair boosters. Other stories were fleeting: A Hillsboro teenager got in trouble for pulling his socks up high.
And some stories are becoming all too familiar. Three of the county's young men died in military service in Iraq.
Here's our recap of the moments that made us smile, cringe or cry over the past year --with hopes that we'll see more of the first in 2007.
Boys of summer: Murrayhill Little League took fans on a wild ride when the 12- and 13-year-olds became the first Oregon team in 48 years to earn a trip to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, Pa. The team ended up in third place.
Top cops: The Beaverton Police Department was one of three winners worldwide of the Webber Seavey Award, recognized for its identity theft and fraud prevention program. The department shared the honor, sponsored by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and Motorola, with the District Police in Nalgonda, India, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
Win some: Wal-Mart won approval from the Cornelius City Council to build a supercenter on North Adair Street.
Lose some: After a monthslong battle, Wal-Mart's plans to put a store in the Cedar Mill area ultimately were rejected by the Beaverton City Council.
Putting the "wall" in Wal-Mart: A Forest Grove official offended neighbors in Cornelius when he suggested building a 600-foot wall next to a proposed Wal-Mart to keep shoplifters and thieves out of his community. "The implication is people from Cornelius are going to be stealing things and running into Forest Grove," Cornelius planner Catherine Sidman huffed.
Good intentions, bad timeliness: New city manager David Waffle praised the Cornelius City Council in January for posting its newsletter on the Web in both English and Spanish. He noted, however, that the newsletter currently posted was a year old.
Best sense of humor: Waffle started a weekly online briefing he called "Hot Off the Griddle."
Oh, that trip to Hawaii: Sen. Ryan Deckert, D-Beaverton, and Sen. Bruce Starr and Rep. Derrick Kitts, both R-Hillsboro, were among legislators who got in hot water when it was revealed they violated state law by not reporting trips to Hawaii paid for by beer and wine distributors in 2002 and 2004.
It's not the Big Island, but . . . Rep. Mark Hass, D-Raleigh Hills, acknowledged that he failed to report a 2003 trip to Idaho paid for by Idaho Power Co.
Best proof history repeats itself: Al Young lost his May primary bid for Metro councilor after it came out that he owed the county nearly $13,000 in back taxes. Young, a former state representative from Hillsboro, got in trouble in 1989 for owing $25,000 in back taxes on some of the same property.
Dogs gone: Organizers of a dog show expected to draw 2,000 dogs and twice that many people pulled out of the Washington County Fair Complex after they found out the Oregon International Airshow was scheduled for the same July weekend at neighboring Hillsboro Airport.
A fair to forget: Opus Northwest dropped out of a deal to redevelop the county fairgrounds. Company officials said two years of community bickering about what should happen with the property made their job impossible.
Sir Lancelot to the rescue? A Renaissance festival company proposed a 20-year lease to put on a medieval fair, including jesters and jousters, at the fairgrounds. The deal could be worth $500,000 annually to the county.
Most animated undertaking: Nike founder Phil Knight announced plans to build a 30-acre campus in Tualatin to house his animation studio, Laika Entertainment.
In other film news: DVD rental company Netflix Inc. announced it would move its customer service operation from the Bay Area to Tanasbourne.
Best hero, confectionery division: Jake Stubbs, a Glencoe High senior, used the Heimlich maneuver to save a classmate choking on a Jolly Rancher lollipop.
Best heroes, fire division: Kevin O'Keeffe and Peter Bradshaw of Aloha were honored for saving a neighbor's life in an early morning fire. The men pounded on the front door and rescued the wheelchair-dependent resident, who was in bed, before firefighters arrived.
Best hero, primatologist division: Jane Goodall, the celebrity primate expert, named Washo Shadowhawk, a Beaverton teen, as one of her heroes for his volunteer work with Roots & Shoots and the Oregon Zoo.
The Crips, the Bloods and the Socks: Hillsboro school officials sent sophomore Luis Vargas home in October for pulling his socks to the knees, a look they say is sported by local gang members. "I don't dress like this all the time," Vargas said. "I wear nice shirts and pants. But when I wear shorts, I pull up my socks. That's just an outfit I have."
Who knew world records were like potato chips? Hillsboro set a new Guinness World Record in August for the most people wearing balloon hats at one location: 1,874. The milestone stirred hopes of fresh conquests. "We want to have more records in Guinness than any other city," said Mayor Tom Hughes, mentioning clown noses as one possibility.
High price of government screw-ups, Part I: The federal government agreed to pay Brandon Mayfield and his family $2 million for the emotional toll they suffered after the Aloha lawyer was wrongly jailed in connection with the deadly Madrid, Spain, train bombings of 2004.
High price of government screw-ups, Part II: Beaverton's legal bills approached $500,000 in its fight with Nike over public records related to annexation. The tab could grow considerably in January, depending how much of Nike's legal bills a Washington County judge orders the city to pay. The same judge ruled that city officials were in contempt of court for withholding records.
Tired of being like Mike: Allen Heckard, 51, of Northeast Portland filed suit in Washington County seeking more than $800 million from Michael Jordan and Nike founder Phil Knight. Heckard claimed his resemblance to the NBA star had denied him "the right to live a normal life." A few weeks later, Heckard dropped the suit.
The show must go on: A vintage British jet fighter crashed seconds after taking off from the Oregon International Airshow in July. The crash killed the pilot, destroyed one house and damaged three others near Hillsboro Airport. After months of debate, air show organizers vowed the show would return next summer and announced in December that the U.S. Navy Blue Angels would be the headliners.
Best real-life Mr. Chips: Intel donated nearly $207,000 to Washington County public schools to match volunteer hours its employees contributed. The company also donated 200 Gateway laptops valued at $350,000 to a pilot technology program at four schools, including Tom McCall Upper Elementary School in Forest Grove.
No velvet Elvis: Goodwill Industries of the Columbia Willamette earned $165,002 when it auctioned a donated painting from its Hillsboro store. What was thought to be cheap yard-sale art turned out to be painted by Frank Weston Benson, a French-trained American impressionist.
Most valedictorians: Westview High School named every senior who earned a 4.0 grade-point average a valedictorian: 75 students shared the honor.
Most new combinations: Tigard High School had to change 2,000 locker combinations after a 17-year-old student hacked into the school's computer system and posted locker combinations online, along with teachers' home addresses, phone numbers and e-mail passwords.
Easing the road to college: In February, the Beaverton School District became the first in Oregon to pay for all its high-schoolers to take ACT exams, which most colleges and universities accept for admission. Nearly 9,000 students took the tests.
Easing the road to, um, Wilsonville: Construction started in October on a 14.7-mile commuter rail line between Beaverton and Wilsonville.
Most generous: Voters in the November election agreed to open their wallets, passing bond measures in the Beaverton and Hillsboro school districts, as well as county levies to pay for public safety and libraries.
Worst news for homeowners: Residents of three Cedar Hills manufactured home parks, totaling 218 spaces, joined mobile home owners throughout the county in finding out they would lose their spaces in the next year. Development pressure makes the land more valuable for other uses, but it's often impossible to find new sites for older homes.
Little people, big audience: TLC, The Learning Channel, made stars of Helvetia residents Matt and Amy Roloff and their four children in a cable reality show called "Little People, Big World." By the end of the year, more than 1.6 million viewers were tuning in to watch the adventures of the family that includes three members who have dwarfism.
Little people, big accident: A pumpkin-chunkin' event turned dangerous for the Roloffs when a trebuchet, a catapultlike machine used to launch pumpkins, injured their 9-year-old son and the man who helped build the device.
Worst dating strategy: An Aloha woman was sentenced to probation and community service after she called 9-1-1, wanting the name of the deputy who had knocked on her door after neighbors complained her music was too loud. The 45-year-old woman told the emergency dispatcher the deputy was "the cutest cop I've seen in God knows how long." The deputy returned and arrested her for improper use of the 9-1-1 emergency system.
Worst spurned lover: Albertson's managers asked a customer to quit coming to the Peterkort store after his attentions and love letters made a clerk uncomfortable. The thwarted Romeo responded by slashing tires on 56 cars in the parking lot.
Thursday, November 30, 2006
Hearing petition surprises Tigard officials
from The Oregonian, by Kate Taylor
SUMMARY: Lukus Glenn Supporters of the teen who was shot by officers seek a public hearing
Tigard City officials on Wednesday are baffled by a 1,060-signature petition calling for a public hearing on the police-shooting death of Lukus Glenn. The officials received the petition at Tuesday's City Council meeting.
An estimated 50 family members, friends and classmates of the 18-year-old former Tigard High School football star packed the council meeting. During public commentary, they expressed their concern over police actions in the Sept. 16 death.
"We are appalled by the response of police during this particular situation," read one of the petitions, signed by nine students of Wilson High School. "We feel that other actions could have been taken which could have prevented this wrongful death. This needless loss of life should not be tolerated or overlooked."
Washington County sheriff's deputies responded to the Glenn home in unincorporated Washington County north of Tigard after reports that the drunken teen armed with a pocket knife was breaking windows and threatening himself and others. Within about four minutes, a Tigard police officer fired non-lethal beanbag rounds at Glenn and two sheriff's deputies shot him to death.
On Wednesday, Mayor Craig Dirksen said councilors had not talked about the petition but he doesn't believe it's the city's place to take a stand.
"I guess I'm glad that the people felt free to come and talk to us, that they would consider it an avenue," Dirksen said. "I don't know that it resulted in any satisfaction on their part."
Dirksen said that the shooting happened outside city limits and that Tigard police were not the primary agency involved.
Members of Lukus Glenn's family could not be reached Wednesday for comment. But Larry Peterson, a Lake Oswego attorney representing the family, remained critical of Tigard, saying that the officials could help see that justice is done.
"The response (at Tuesday's meeting) was 'Yeah, we'll look at it again.' It was real namby-pamby," Peterson said. The city is shirking responsibility, he said, because a Tigard police officer was involved in the shooting, the city funds and oversees its police and because the city is charged with answering questions asked by its citizens.
In October, the district attorney's office upheld the officers' actions and declined to send the case to a grand jury. The Glenn family asked Tigard and the Washington County Board of Commissioners to hold a public inquest into the shooting, but the county commissioners refused.
Thursday, November 2, 2006
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - 11/2/2006
Who furnished the alcohol?
Everyone is saddened for all involved in the tragic loss of 18-year-old Lukus Glenn. I try not to pass judgment on anyone involved because I wasn't there.
However, the piece by the Glenns' attorney, Lawrence K. Peterson ("The public deserves more than silence," Oct. 31), bashing Washington County for its silence and not "focusing on the larger picture" was the last straw for me.
Glenn's drunken state was the major contributing factor in his death, and no less so than if he had died wrapping his car around a utility pole. His blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit for an adult, which he was not. There is no legal limit for a teenager.
If the Glenns and their attorney truly want to focus on the "larger picture," then they ought to be demanding to know who furnished the alcohol Lukus drank. The event that unfolded in the Glenns' front yard was the tragic consequence of someone else's illegal and irresponsible actions.
MARY BETH BUFFUM
Northwest Portland
Everyone is saddened for all involved in the tragic loss of 18-year-old Lukus Glenn. I try not to pass judgment on anyone involved because I wasn't there.
However, the piece by the Glenns' attorney, Lawrence K. Peterson ("The public deserves more than silence," Oct. 31), bashing Washington County for its silence and not "focusing on the larger picture" was the last straw for me.
Glenn's drunken state was the major contributing factor in his death, and no less so than if he had died wrapping his car around a utility pole. His blood alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit for an adult, which he was not. There is no legal limit for a teenager.
If the Glenns and their attorney truly want to focus on the "larger picture," then they ought to be demanding to know who furnished the alcohol Lukus drank. The event that unfolded in the Glenns' front yard was the tragic consequence of someone else's illegal and irresponsible actions.
MARY BETH BUFFUM
Northwest Portland
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."
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