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."