To Protect and To Unnerve: Portland Police Provoke Paranoia

max screengrab To Protect and To Unnerve: Portland Police Provoke Paranoia It appears that “going rogue” is all the rage these days, and the police officers of Portland, Oregon, seem determined to get in on the fad. A burgeoning public relations fiasco in the City of Roses revolves around one particular officer.

Earlier this month, Portland Police Officer Chris Humphreys was caught on video surveillance shooting a beanbag gun at a twelve-year-old girl at close range.

Portland Police Chief Rosie Sizer reacted to this public embarrassment by putting Officer Humphreys on administrative leave.

The Portland Police Association reacted to the chief’s decision with a downtown solidarity march, where they wore shirts bearing the words, “I AM CHRIS HUMPHREYS.”

Many residents of Portland reacted to this spectacle with trepidation and paranoia. They’ve seen the videotape of the burly police officer and the little girl on the ground. And they remember that Chris Humphreys is the same officer who “fell” on a schizophrenic man who tried to elude the police and ended up dead as a result of Chris Humphreys’s “fall.”

Most citizens want to support our police. Most police officers truly strive to protect and serve their community. But when they march in support of one of their own who is perceived as having treated his fellow citizens with unacceptable brutality, they do not help their cause.

UPDATE 12/1/2009: After the Thanksgiving weekend Portland City Commissioner Dan Saltzman backed off his prior decision, and announced that Officer Humphreys would be back at work. At least he’s restricted to a desk job.

pf button both To Protect and To Unnerve: Portland Police Provoke Paranoia

jah

the family of Chris Humphrey should be executed. That is the only proper form of justice. it sends the correct message to the PD’s.
Ben

Police are evil, plain and simple. Most are not blatantly evil. But the fact that they support the bad apples makes them no better. “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”
http://scared@prisonplanet.com Scared

Portland police murder unarmed citizens regularly and with impunity. They pretend to have a “grand jury” clear the officer every time. However because the “jury” is instructed by the judge what to vote and told they can only vote one way according to law it is just a rubber stamp. No so called “grand jury review” of a PPD murder has or will ever find an officer guilty. They will always just say the majic “fear for my life” and “made a move like he had a weapon” lies to get a paid vacation every time. Even when the victim is shot in the back while fleeing. They also always make sure the person they shoot dies (by empyting thier gun into the victims head or chest or restricting medical attention, sometimes for hours so the victim bleeds to death) to avoif the liability of a living victim who can testify. They always lie and cover for each other and the orepublican propaganda rag always cheerleads and defends on the basis the victim “did not comply”. It is sickening and twisted and evil and a grave danger to us all.
http://kidsbeanbags.info/ kids bean bags

You made some good points there. I did a investigate on the subject and found most people will agree with your blog.