from Portland Tribune
Mayor wants to examine who should care for community's mentally ill
Regardless of what the Multnomah County grand jury decides in the death of James Chasse Jr., Mayor Tom Potter plans to ask the City Council to appoint a committee to study numerous issues related to the in-custody death of the man. Among those issues would be how the police can improve their interactions with mentally ill people and who in the community should be responsible for their care.
“We need to acknowledge that is a much larger issue than just the police,” Potter said.
The mayor said he hopes the committee can look at how other cities are dealing with the mentally ill, calling the lack of adequate treatment a nationwide issue.
“I hope the committee can conduct that kind of survey,” Potter said.
Before he submits the plan to the council, Potter said he also plans to discuss it with other area decision-makers, including Multnomah County Chair-elect Ted Wheeler and State Sen. Avel Gordly, whose son had confrontations with the police in the past.
Potter said statistics show a large number of homeless people in Portland are mentally ill, adding, “The question the community has to ask is, is this a good way to deal with the mentally ill — to let them wander the streets or using the police as last resort?”
Chasse died after a Sept. 17 struggle with police near the intersection of Northwest 13th Avenue and Everett Street. The Oregon State Medical Examiner ruled that he died of “broad-based blunt force trauma to the chest,” including broken ribs that punctured his lungs. Although several witnesses filed complaints with the city accusing the police of using excessive force, the medical examiner ruled the death accidental.
At a Sept. 25 press conference, Chasse’s father said his son had suffered from “an unfortunate mental illness” since his teenager years. He was living in a halfway house near the Pearl District and enjoyed wandering the neighborhood at the time of his death, James Chasse Sr. said.
A grand jury began considering the case on Tuesday. It is scheduled to continue hearing from witnesses until next week. The grand jury will determine whether any laws were broken during the incident.
Although Potter declined to comment on the details of the case, he said Police Chief Rosie Sizer told him the officers who arrested Chasse were under pressure to reduce public drunkenness and other public antisocial activities. The officers had said they suspected Chasse of urinating in a downtown street before they arrested him.
“When I talked to the chief, she said this is sort of an example of what happens when things go beyond what you expect," Potter said. "The fact is, we are trying to clean up the streets. But I want to make sure it is done in a way that still protects people's rights.”
Potter said he was considering expanding the membership of the committee beyond the Portland city limits. He said the mentally ill live throughout the region but gravitate to downtown, in part because of the ease of taking the MAX light rail system to Pioneer Courthouse Square.
Friday, October 6, 2006
Thursday, October 5, 2006
Opossum Society - Crazy Cat Grows Big Feet
from the Portland Mercury
Jim’s band – Opossum Society, Crazy Cat Grows Big Feet – via Randy, 10.5.2006
DOWNLOAD
Opossum Society - Crazy Cat Grows Big Feet
Jim’s band – Opossum Society, Crazy Cat Grows Big Feet – via Randy, 10.5.2006
DOWNLOAD
Opossum Society - Crazy Cat Grows Big Feet
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR - 10/5/06
from The Oregonian
Chasse death: Rein in thuggish police
I can only visualize myself or any frail person walking down the street and being tackled by three policemen. Imagine the injuries that would create.
Then imagine fighting because you couldn't breathe (lung punctured) and imagine being shouted at to lie on your stomach but begging not to (fractured rib pain). Imagine begging the ambulance people not to leave.
James P. Chasse Jr.'s death was horrible!
I was raised in the 1950s, when my mother read me the book, "The Policeman is Your Friend." I have believed that a policeman is my friend all my life (59 years) --until now. Now I believe that police officers are thugs, legal thugs. Thugs who killed poor Mr. Chasse.
For now, let us all pray we don't stagger with a medical problem on the streets of Portland.
Police Chief Rosie Sizer: You are in charge. Do the right thing. In the memory of Chasse, protect innocent people. Protect me.
KATHLEEN BAUSKA
St. Helens
James P. Chasse Jr. died of massive internal bleeding caused by 16 fractured ribs with 26 individual rib bones that were "broken, splintered or crushed" by two Portland police officers and a Multnomah County sheriff's deputy ("Injury list a long one in struggle with police," Oct. 4).
A few weeks ago, it was another young man who died at the hands of overzealous police. He was shot to death.
What are we citizens supposed to do when we need help and the police respond in such a manner? Where is the training in use of appropriate force?
Both of these situations could have been resolved using rudimentary pin holds and a little martial arts training.
Are the police chief, mayor [and sheriffs] doing their jobs in making training required and available?
TOM KUBISIAK
Southeast Portland
How many autopsy reports will it take? How many reports of 16 crushed and broken ribs, a punctured lung and severe internal bleeding will it take before the blunt-force trauma of enraged public opinion will rein in the out-of-control cowboys of the Portland Police Bureau?
James P. Chasse Jr. died alone, in a police car, on Sept. 17. May his gentle, but mentally ill, soul rest in peace.
GLENN GILLESPIE
Southwest Portland
It seems the Portland police are held to a different standard. How many times over the years have people "accidentally" died while in police custody?
Why is it always termed an accident by the authorities, when if the same circumstances were to occur in the lives of most people, there would be a major investigation and someone would be going to prison?
I guess I just feel like I believe a lot of Portlanders feel: The Portland police seem to be able to do whatever they want, whenever they want; even if it is taking someone's life; and there is never any real explanation to the public, or any type of discipline of the offending officers --unless you call "paid leave" discipline.
Isn't a police officer supposed to be someone we can all respect and look up to, someone to emulate? Not someone to be feared, like a storm trooper.
CLIFFORD DOBSON
Northeast Portland
Chasse death: Rein in thuggish police
I can only visualize myself or any frail person walking down the street and being tackled by three policemen. Imagine the injuries that would create.
Then imagine fighting because you couldn't breathe (lung punctured) and imagine being shouted at to lie on your stomach but begging not to (fractured rib pain). Imagine begging the ambulance people not to leave.
James P. Chasse Jr.'s death was horrible!
I was raised in the 1950s, when my mother read me the book, "The Policeman is Your Friend." I have believed that a policeman is my friend all my life (59 years) --until now. Now I believe that police officers are thugs, legal thugs. Thugs who killed poor Mr. Chasse.
For now, let us all pray we don't stagger with a medical problem on the streets of Portland.
Police Chief Rosie Sizer: You are in charge. Do the right thing. In the memory of Chasse, protect innocent people. Protect me.
KATHLEEN BAUSKA
St. Helens
James P. Chasse Jr. died of massive internal bleeding caused by 16 fractured ribs with 26 individual rib bones that were "broken, splintered or crushed" by two Portland police officers and a Multnomah County sheriff's deputy ("Injury list a long one in struggle with police," Oct. 4).
A few weeks ago, it was another young man who died at the hands of overzealous police. He was shot to death.
What are we citizens supposed to do when we need help and the police respond in such a manner? Where is the training in use of appropriate force?
Both of these situations could have been resolved using rudimentary pin holds and a little martial arts training.
Are the police chief, mayor [and sheriffs] doing their jobs in making training required and available?
TOM KUBISIAK
Southeast Portland
How many autopsy reports will it take? How many reports of 16 crushed and broken ribs, a punctured lung and severe internal bleeding will it take before the blunt-force trauma of enraged public opinion will rein in the out-of-control cowboys of the Portland Police Bureau?
James P. Chasse Jr. died alone, in a police car, on Sept. 17. May his gentle, but mentally ill, soul rest in peace.
GLENN GILLESPIE
Southwest Portland
It seems the Portland police are held to a different standard. How many times over the years have people "accidentally" died while in police custody?
Why is it always termed an accident by the authorities, when if the same circumstances were to occur in the lives of most people, there would be a major investigation and someone would be going to prison?
I guess I just feel like I believe a lot of Portlanders feel: The Portland police seem to be able to do whatever they want, whenever they want; even if it is taking someone's life; and there is never any real explanation to the public, or any type of discipline of the offending officers --unless you call "paid leave" discipline.
Isn't a police officer supposed to be someone we can all respect and look up to, someone to emulate? Not someone to be feared, like a storm trooper.
CLIFFORD DOBSON
Northeast Portland
New witnesses extend review of Chasse case
from The Oregonian, by Maxine Bernstein
A Multnomah County grand jury's review of a 42-year-old man's death in police custody on Sept. 17 is expected to continue into next week, police and prosecutors said Wednesday.
New witnesses have been identified and other witnesses' schedules require their testimony be heard next week, authorities said.
Portland Police Chief Rosie Sizer issued a statement Wednesday asking the public to be patient as they await more details in James P. Chasse Jr.'s death.
"I understand the need for people to hear what occurred in this incident and the heightened emotion in the community," Sizer said. The chief said police will provide a detailed account of what occurred once the grand jury review is done.
"I ask that people be patient until we have the opportunity to provide this briefing and begin what I hope will be a broad-based discussion on not only the specifics of this incident, but also the issues that law enforcement and the community face in dealing with people who suffer from a mental illness."
Norm Frink, a Multnomah County chief deputy district attorney, said the grand jury may be completed by the middle or end of next week. "New witnesses have come to the investigators' attention," Frink said. "It's an evolving process."
The state medical examiner ruled that Chasse died of broad-based blunt force trauma to the chest after a struggle with two Portland officers and a Multnomah County deputy sheriff.
An autopsy released by Chasse's family showed he had 26 breaks in 16 ribs plus multiple bruises, contusions and abrasions to his head, chest and abdomen.
Police said officers thought Chasse was urinating in the street in the Pearl District. Chasse ran and the officers chased him.
Police said an officer pushed Chasse, which caused him to stumble to the ground. But three witnesses have filed excessive-force complaints against the officers, saying they forcefully tackled Chasse and then repeatedly kicked and punched him in the chest and head.
After paramedics examined Chasse, police drove him to jail. There, jail nurses found he needed further medical attention, and police drove him in a patrol car to a hospital. He died en route.
A Multnomah County grand jury's review of a 42-year-old man's death in police custody on Sept. 17 is expected to continue into next week, police and prosecutors said Wednesday.
New witnesses have been identified and other witnesses' schedules require their testimony be heard next week, authorities said.
Portland Police Chief Rosie Sizer issued a statement Wednesday asking the public to be patient as they await more details in James P. Chasse Jr.'s death.
"I understand the need for people to hear what occurred in this incident and the heightened emotion in the community," Sizer said. The chief said police will provide a detailed account of what occurred once the grand jury review is done.
"I ask that people be patient until we have the opportunity to provide this briefing and begin what I hope will be a broad-based discussion on not only the specifics of this incident, but also the issues that law enforcement and the community face in dealing with people who suffer from a mental illness."
Norm Frink, a Multnomah County chief deputy district attorney, said the grand jury may be completed by the middle or end of next week. "New witnesses have come to the investigators' attention," Frink said. "It's an evolving process."
The state medical examiner ruled that Chasse died of broad-based blunt force trauma to the chest after a struggle with two Portland officers and a Multnomah County deputy sheriff.
An autopsy released by Chasse's family showed he had 26 breaks in 16 ribs plus multiple bruises, contusions and abrasions to his head, chest and abdomen.
Police said officers thought Chasse was urinating in the street in the Pearl District. Chasse ran and the officers chased him.
Police said an officer pushed Chasse, which caused him to stumble to the ground. But three witnesses have filed excessive-force complaints against the officers, saying they forcefully tackled Chasse and then repeatedly kicked and punched him in the chest and head.
After paramedics examined Chasse, police drove him to jail. There, jail nurses found he needed further medical attention, and police drove him in a patrol car to a hospital. He died en route.
Wednesday, October 4, 2006
Autopsy shows fractured ribs led to Portland man's death
from the Associated Press
A man who died in police custody suffered 16 broken ribs, including some that punctured a lung and caused massive internal bleeding, according to autopsy results released by his family.
James P. Chasse Jr., 42, died Sept. 17 after three officers struggled to arrest him in the Pearl District.
The state medical examiner's report also showed that Chasse suffered multiple bruises, contusions and abrasions to his head, chest and abdomen. Toxicology tests revealed no alcohol or drugs in his system.
According to police, officers spotted Chasse acting oddly as if he either were on drugs or had a mental disorder, and then possibly urinating in the street before they walked up to him. When he ran, they chased him.
Tom Steenson, the family's attorney, released the autopsy report because Chasse's family was disturbed by the extent of the injuries and is continuing its own independent investigation of his death. They highlighted that Chasse, who suffered from schizophrenia, had a slight build. He was 5 foot 9 inches tall and weighed 145 pounds.
In addition, a deputy medical examiner's initial investigative report done the night of Chasse's death indicates that paramedics who first evaluated a handcuffed Chasse on the street said they were not told Chasse may have gone into respiratory arrest. They also said they were unaware officers had used a Taser on Chasse, the report said.
The paramedics said they found Chasse conscious and his vital signs in the normal range, and let the police officers decide whether to transport Chasse to a hospital, Dwayne Bigoni, the deputy medical examiner, wrote in the report.
Police then shackled Chasse's ankles together, tied his feet to his hands in a "hog-tie" and drove him to jail, accusing him of resisting arrest and interfering with police. There, jail nurses determined he needed further medical attention, and police drove Chasse to Portland Adventist Hospital. He died en route.
When Chasse's body arrived for autopsy, his left chest appeared "flattened," the report said.
The state medical examiner, Dr. Karen Gunson, cited blunt-force chest trauma as his cause of death and wrote that the injuries were caused "by another person or a fall."
Gunson ruled the death an accident, but Chasse's family, witnesses and a police watchdog group have questioned her ruling, and at least one state lawmaker has called for a public inquest into Chasse's death.
"Jim had a difficult life, and its end was horribly, horribly unjust," Mark Chasse said when eulogizing his older brother at a private service on Friday.
The family attorney released the full autopsy report on the first day the Multnomah County district attorney's office presented the case to a grand jury for review. The grand jury is expected to hear more testimony Wednesday and make a ruling on whether anyone is criminally liable in Chasse's death.
District Attorney Michael Schrunk said Tuesday the entire grand jury file would be turned over to Chasse's family upon conclusion of the review. But he cautioned that the grand jury's role is only to decide the narrow question of criminal liability.
A man who died in police custody suffered 16 broken ribs, including some that punctured a lung and caused massive internal bleeding, according to autopsy results released by his family.
James P. Chasse Jr., 42, died Sept. 17 after three officers struggled to arrest him in the Pearl District.
The state medical examiner's report also showed that Chasse suffered multiple bruises, contusions and abrasions to his head, chest and abdomen. Toxicology tests revealed no alcohol or drugs in his system.
According to police, officers spotted Chasse acting oddly as if he either were on drugs or had a mental disorder, and then possibly urinating in the street before they walked up to him. When he ran, they chased him.
Tom Steenson, the family's attorney, released the autopsy report because Chasse's family was disturbed by the extent of the injuries and is continuing its own independent investigation of his death. They highlighted that Chasse, who suffered from schizophrenia, had a slight build. He was 5 foot 9 inches tall and weighed 145 pounds.
In addition, a deputy medical examiner's initial investigative report done the night of Chasse's death indicates that paramedics who first evaluated a handcuffed Chasse on the street said they were not told Chasse may have gone into respiratory arrest. They also said they were unaware officers had used a Taser on Chasse, the report said.
The paramedics said they found Chasse conscious and his vital signs in the normal range, and let the police officers decide whether to transport Chasse to a hospital, Dwayne Bigoni, the deputy medical examiner, wrote in the report.
Police then shackled Chasse's ankles together, tied his feet to his hands in a "hog-tie" and drove him to jail, accusing him of resisting arrest and interfering with police. There, jail nurses determined he needed further medical attention, and police drove Chasse to Portland Adventist Hospital. He died en route.
When Chasse's body arrived for autopsy, his left chest appeared "flattened," the report said.
The state medical examiner, Dr. Karen Gunson, cited blunt-force chest trauma as his cause of death and wrote that the injuries were caused "by another person or a fall."
Gunson ruled the death an accident, but Chasse's family, witnesses and a police watchdog group have questioned her ruling, and at least one state lawmaker has called for a public inquest into Chasse's death.
"Jim had a difficult life, and its end was horribly, horribly unjust," Mark Chasse said when eulogizing his older brother at a private service on Friday.
The family attorney released the full autopsy report on the first day the Multnomah County district attorney's office presented the case to a grand jury for review. The grand jury is expected to hear more testimony Wednesday and make a ruling on whether anyone is criminally liable in Chasse's death.
District Attorney Michael Schrunk said Tuesday the entire grand jury file would be turned over to Chasse's family upon conclusion of the review. But he cautioned that the grand jury's role is only to decide the narrow question of criminal liability.
Autopsy: No Drugs, Alcohol In Man Who Died In Police Custody
from KOIN.com
The family of James Chasse Jr. has released the autopsy report detailing Chasse's physical condition at the time of his death.
Attorneys for the family of the man who died Sept. 17 in police custody call the 21-page autopsy report remarkable. They say it sheds light into the excessive force used by officers.
Initially, reports indicated that Chasse's death may have been the result of illicit drugs, but toxicology tests later confirmed that no drugs or alcohol were found in his body.
The medical examiner's report lists Chasse's injuries, which include multiple broken ribs, which led to a punctured lung and other internal injuries. The official cause of death is accidental blunt-force trauma to the chest.
A grand jury is looking at evidence in the case and considering possible criminal charges for the officers involved.
The family of James Chasse Jr. has released the autopsy report detailing Chasse's physical condition at the time of his death.
Attorneys for the family of the man who died Sept. 17 in police custody call the 21-page autopsy report remarkable. They say it sheds light into the excessive force used by officers.
Initially, reports indicated that Chasse's death may have been the result of illicit drugs, but toxicology tests later confirmed that no drugs or alcohol were found in his body.
The medical examiner's report lists Chasse's injuries, which include multiple broken ribs, which led to a punctured lung and other internal injuries. The official cause of death is accidental blunt-force trauma to the chest.
A grand jury is looking at evidence in the case and considering possible criminal charges for the officers involved.
Witness in Chasse case will testify to grand jury
from KATU.com
The grand jury investigating the death of a Portland man who died while in police custody is not expected to finish until next week.
Portland Police Chief Rosie Sizer issued a statement Wednesday afternoon, saying the Multnomah County district attorney's office informed her about the delay because a witness was unavailable.
Sizer said the Portland Police Bureau will provide an extremely detailed account of the entire incident and she asked the public to be patient.
Meanwhile, a man who says he saw police try to revive Chasse says he feels police acted appropriately.
James Chasse, 42, died last month after he suffered 16 broken ribs, including some that punctured a lung and caused internal bleeding. Details about the injuries were included in a state medical examiner's autopsy report released by his family.
Despite the extent of his injuries, his death has been ruled accidental.
A witness who saw police trying to revive Chasse says officers pulled him from the patrol car and performed vigorous CPR, which he says may account for some of Chasse's chest injuries.
Jon Olson says he was jogging in the area when police pulled over after reportedly discovering Chasse had stopped breathing while en route to a hospital in a patrol car.
Olson says he thought the officer's actions were "above board."
Dan Handelman, a spokesman for a group called CopWatch, called the extent of Chasse's internal injuries "incredibly frightening" and says an incredible amount of force was used.
The grand jury investigating the death of a Portland man who died while in police custody is not expected to finish until next week.Portland Police Chief Rosie Sizer issued a statement Wednesday afternoon, saying the Multnomah County district attorney's office informed her about the delay because a witness was unavailable.
Sizer said the Portland Police Bureau will provide an extremely detailed account of the entire incident and she asked the public to be patient.
Meanwhile, a man who says he saw police try to revive Chasse says he feels police acted appropriately.
James Chasse, 42, died last month after he suffered 16 broken ribs, including some that punctured a lung and caused internal bleeding. Details about the injuries were included in a state medical examiner's autopsy report released by his family.
Despite the extent of his injuries, his death has been ruled accidental.
A witness who saw police trying to revive Chasse says officers pulled him from the patrol car and performed vigorous CPR, which he says may account for some of Chasse's chest injuries.
Jon Olson says he was jogging in the area when police pulled over after reportedly discovering Chasse had stopped breathing while en route to a hospital in a patrol car.
Olson says he thought the officer's actions were "above board."
Dan Handelman, a spokesman for a group called CopWatch, called the extent of Chasse's internal injuries "incredibly frightening" and says an incredible amount of force was used.
Jim Jim
from Mary's Great Ideas
James Chasse, Jr., known to many of us as Jim Jim, was beaten to death by police on September 17, as many Portlanders know by now. He was a visible member of the Portland scene or community (or whatever you want to call it) in the 1980s. I didn't know him that well, but he was closer to friends of mine and we went to the same school, hung out in the same crowd, so this is seeming especially strange and awful and infuriating.
I remember Jim Jim as gentle and nutty. Rachel remembers: "crazy or no, he really was a gentle, loving, sweetiepie sort of guy." The Oregonaian quotes Jason Renaud describing him as, "cute and charming and cuddly and quiet and careful and sprinkled with pixie dust." He believed in magic and fairies and stuff like that and once gave me elaborate instructions on a ceremony he wanted me to perform. I think he struck a lot of us, even then, as vulnerable. Linea reminded me of how, when he was hospitalized at Dammasch (a state mental hospital that was closed in 1995), someone wrote, "Free Jim Jim" graffiti -- there was a perception that his hospitalization was a form of imprisonment. Of course, these days, we don't put the mentally ill in hospitals that seem like prisons -- we just put them straight into prison.
Jim Jim was schizophrenic, and his death at the hands of police reminds me that the powerful victimize the most vulnerable (first), and that all of us can be vulnerable at the right time and place. My father was also schizophrenic, and died peacefully on a couch at his parent's home, but I can easily imagine a more tragic end had he encountered the police on the streets in one of his more psychotic states. (It should be said that, from witness accounts, it doesn't appear that Jim Jim was in the midst of a psychotic episode at all. He was tackled by police when he ran away. They were chasing him because they thought he might be peeing in public.)
Police brutality is often perceived as an issue for people of color -- which it most certainly is -- but Jim Jim's death is a reminder to me that there are many ways to become vulnerable and powerless: mental illness, certainly, but also poverty, being drunk, being at the wrong place at the wrong time. I don't want to over-simplify the issue or demonize individuals: maybe the police involved in this case weren't arrogant, steroid-driven jocks who get off on picking on people weaker than themselves. Maybe they were under-trained, frightened and overwhelmed by the problems we ask them to solve without the resources or education to do so and resorted to the only tool they know how to use -- their fists. Either way, it's a tragic and avoidable problem, and Jim Jim died because of it.
Here's some coverage of the story:
A comprehensive index of media coverage by the Mental Health Association of Portland.
Oregonian article on his death - DEAD LINK
Oregonian coverage of the autopsy - DEAD LINK
Portland Cop Watch (that website seems a little out of date, but you can see a statement they issued on the Chasse case here.
Other places where people are commenting on Jim Jim's death:
Comments and memories at PortlandIndyMedia.
Memories from a friend.
Political commentary on police brutality.
Political commentary on police brutality.
Political commentary on the lack of care for the mentally ill.
James Chasse, Jr., known to many of us as Jim Jim, was beaten to death by police on September 17, as many Portlanders know by now. He was a visible member of the Portland scene or community (or whatever you want to call it) in the 1980s. I didn't know him that well, but he was closer to friends of mine and we went to the same school, hung out in the same crowd, so this is seeming especially strange and awful and infuriating.
I remember Jim Jim as gentle and nutty. Rachel remembers: "crazy or no, he really was a gentle, loving, sweetiepie sort of guy." The Oregonaian quotes Jason Renaud describing him as, "cute and charming and cuddly and quiet and careful and sprinkled with pixie dust." He believed in magic and fairies and stuff like that and once gave me elaborate instructions on a ceremony he wanted me to perform. I think he struck a lot of us, even then, as vulnerable. Linea reminded me of how, when he was hospitalized at Dammasch (a state mental hospital that was closed in 1995), someone wrote, "Free Jim Jim" graffiti -- there was a perception that his hospitalization was a form of imprisonment. Of course, these days, we don't put the mentally ill in hospitals that seem like prisons -- we just put them straight into prison.
Jim Jim was schizophrenic, and his death at the hands of police reminds me that the powerful victimize the most vulnerable (first), and that all of us can be vulnerable at the right time and place. My father was also schizophrenic, and died peacefully on a couch at his parent's home, but I can easily imagine a more tragic end had he encountered the police on the streets in one of his more psychotic states. (It should be said that, from witness accounts, it doesn't appear that Jim Jim was in the midst of a psychotic episode at all. He was tackled by police when he ran away. They were chasing him because they thought he might be peeing in public.)
Police brutality is often perceived as an issue for people of color -- which it most certainly is -- but Jim Jim's death is a reminder to me that there are many ways to become vulnerable and powerless: mental illness, certainly, but also poverty, being drunk, being at the wrong place at the wrong time. I don't want to over-simplify the issue or demonize individuals: maybe the police involved in this case weren't arrogant, steroid-driven jocks who get off on picking on people weaker than themselves. Maybe they were under-trained, frightened and overwhelmed by the problems we ask them to solve without the resources or education to do so and resorted to the only tool they know how to use -- their fists. Either way, it's a tragic and avoidable problem, and Jim Jim died because of it.
Here's some coverage of the story:
A comprehensive index of media coverage by the Mental Health Association of Portland.
Oregonian article on his death - DEAD LINK
Oregonian coverage of the autopsy - DEAD LINK
Portland Cop Watch (that website seems a little out of date, but you can see a statement they issued on the Chasse case here.
Other places where people are commenting on Jim Jim's death:
Comments and memories at PortlandIndyMedia.
Memories from a friend.
Political commentary on police brutality.
Political commentary on police brutality.
Political commentary on the lack of care for the mentally ill.
News Releases: STATEMENT FROM CHIEF ROSANNE SIZER REGARDING THE IN-CUSTODY
from the Portland Police, a press release
News Releases: STATEMENT FROM CHIEF ROSANNE SIZER REGARDING THE IN-CUSTODY
“The District Attorney has informed me that the Grand Jury will not conclude until next week, due to the unavailability of a witness.
“I understand the need for people to hear what occurred in this incident and the heightened emotion in the community. But out of respect for the Grand Jury process, the Police Bureau cannot participate in the release of investigative information to the media and community.
“Following the conclusion of the Grand Jury, the Police Bureau is committed to providing an extremely detailed account of the what led up to the initial contact with Mr. Chasse and the actions of all those involved throughout the entire incident. I ask that people be patient until we have the opportunity to provide this briefing and begin what I hope will be a broad-based discussion on not only the specifics of this incident, but also the issues that law enforcement and the community face in dealing with people who suffer from a mental illness.”
PIO Contact Name: Catherine Kent
Email Address: ckent@portlandpolice.org
Phone Number: 503-823-0830
Pager Number: 503-790-1779
News Releases: STATEMENT FROM CHIEF ROSANNE SIZER REGARDING THE IN-CUSTODY
“The District Attorney has informed me that the Grand Jury will not conclude until next week, due to the unavailability of a witness.
“I understand the need for people to hear what occurred in this incident and the heightened emotion in the community. But out of respect for the Grand Jury process, the Police Bureau cannot participate in the release of investigative information to the media and community.
“Following the conclusion of the Grand Jury, the Police Bureau is committed to providing an extremely detailed account of the what led up to the initial contact with Mr. Chasse and the actions of all those involved throughout the entire incident. I ask that people be patient until we have the opportunity to provide this briefing and begin what I hope will be a broad-based discussion on not only the specifics of this incident, but also the issues that law enforcement and the community face in dealing with people who suffer from a mental illness.”
PIO Contact Name: Catherine Kent
Email Address: ckent@portlandpolice.org
Phone Number: 503-823-0830
Pager Number: 503-790-1779
Chasse Update: Grand Jury to Conclude Next Week
from the Portland Mercury
This just in from Police Chief Rosie Sizer:
Matt Davis spoke with D.A. Mike Schrunk earlier today—we heard a false rumor that the grand jury had wrapped up this afternoon—who advised us to call back on Monday.
This just in from Police Chief Rosie Sizer:
“The District Attorney has informed me that the Grand Jury will not conclude until next week, due to the unavailability of a witness.
“I understand the need for people to hear what occurred in this incident and the heightened emotion in the community. But out of respect for the Grand Jury process, the Police Bureau cannot participate in the release of investigative information to the media and community.
“Following the conclusion of the Grand Jury, the Police Bureau is committed to providing an extremely detailed account of the what led up to the initial contact with Mr. Chasse and the actions of all those involved throughout the entire incident. I ask that people be patient until we have the opportunity to provide this briefing and begin what I hope will be a broad-based discussion on not only the specifics of this incident, but also the issues that law enforcement and the community face in dealing with people who suffer from a mental illness.
Matt Davis spoke with D.A. Mike Schrunk earlier today—we heard a false rumor that the grand jury had wrapped up this afternoon—who advised us to call back on Monday.
Grand jury hearing testimony on death in police custody
from Associated Press + KGW.com
A Multmonah County Grand Jury weighing the case of a man who died in police custody will not have a decision until next week.
On Tuesday, the family James Chasse Jr. released what their attorneys called the "remarkable" autopsy report of his death.
Jamie Marquez, courtesy the Portland Mercury
Medics and police check on a man who later died in police custody.
Portland Police Chief Rosie Sizer said she was informed by the district attorney's office that no decision is expected until next week because a witness was unavailable.
According to the state medical examiner, Chasse died an accidental death from blunt force trauma to the chest, officials said.
The autopsy documents show that Chasse had multiple broken ribs that caused massive internal injuries and a punctured lung.
Attorney’s for Chasse’s family said that the “report is remarkable for several reasons,” citing that Chasse was in relatively good health and had no alcohol or drugs in his system at the time.
Chasse died on the way to the hospital in a patrol car after being booked into jail by officers on September 17, according to police. Police took Chasse into custody in Northwest Portland after a struggle, officers also tased Chasse and he later began having breathing problems, police said.
Medics were called in and Chasse showed normal vital signs, then officers took him to the Multnomah County Detention Center according to officers.
According to the autopsy report, a nurse at the jail advised officers to take Chasse to the hospital. Police said he died on the way, according to the report.
Dr. Karen Gunson of the medical examiner’s office said that from a medical examiner's point of view, the officers involved did not know Chasse would die based on their actions.
When the jury returns with its finding, the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office will make the announcement.
"Following the conclusion of the Grand Jury, the Police Bureau is committed to providing an extremely detailed account of the what led up to the initial contact with Mr. Chasse and the actions of all those involved throughout the entire incident. I ask that people be patient until we have the opportunity to provide this briefing and begin what I hope will be a broad-based discussion on not only the specifics of this incident, but also the issues that law enforcement and the community face in dealing with people who suffer from a mental illness," Sizer said in a statement Wednesday.
Portland Police are investigating the case and said earlier that they are rigorously examining their “actions, training policies and procedures,” according to a statement by Sizer.
Chasse's family also said they were continuing to investigate, and thanked the public for cooperation they've recieved regarding the case.
A Multmonah County Grand Jury weighing the case of a man who died in police custody will not have a decision until next week.
On Tuesday, the family James Chasse Jr. released what their attorneys called the "remarkable" autopsy report of his death.
Jamie Marquez, courtesy the Portland Mercury
Medics and police check on a man who later died in police custody.
Portland Police Chief Rosie Sizer said she was informed by the district attorney's office that no decision is expected until next week because a witness was unavailable.
According to the state medical examiner, Chasse died an accidental death from blunt force trauma to the chest, officials said.
The autopsy documents show that Chasse had multiple broken ribs that caused massive internal injuries and a punctured lung.
Attorney’s for Chasse’s family said that the “report is remarkable for several reasons,” citing that Chasse was in relatively good health and had no alcohol or drugs in his system at the time.
Chasse died on the way to the hospital in a patrol car after being booked into jail by officers on September 17, according to police. Police took Chasse into custody in Northwest Portland after a struggle, officers also tased Chasse and he later began having breathing problems, police said.
Medics were called in and Chasse showed normal vital signs, then officers took him to the Multnomah County Detention Center according to officers.
According to the autopsy report, a nurse at the jail advised officers to take Chasse to the hospital. Police said he died on the way, according to the report.
Dr. Karen Gunson of the medical examiner’s office said that from a medical examiner's point of view, the officers involved did not know Chasse would die based on their actions.
When the jury returns with its finding, the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office will make the announcement.
"Following the conclusion of the Grand Jury, the Police Bureau is committed to providing an extremely detailed account of the what led up to the initial contact with Mr. Chasse and the actions of all those involved throughout the entire incident. I ask that people be patient until we have the opportunity to provide this briefing and begin what I hope will be a broad-based discussion on not only the specifics of this incident, but also the issues that law enforcement and the community face in dealing with people who suffer from a mental illness," Sizer said in a statement Wednesday.
Portland Police are investigating the case and said earlier that they are rigorously examining their “actions, training policies and procedures,” according to a statement by Sizer.
Chasse's family also said they were continuing to investigate, and thanked the public for cooperation they've recieved regarding the case.
IN MY OPINION - POLICE AND THE MENTALLY ILL - Relieving the burden on the justice system
from The Oregonian, by Leslie Ford
We can all agree that the recent death of James Phillip Chasse Jr. is a tragedy. And I share Portland Police Chief Rosie Sizer's view that Multnomah County's mental health system does not have adequate resources to do all that needs to be done. As a result, Sizer is right to say that too much of the burden falls to the police and jails.
Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare's Project Respond, the county's mental health crisis outreach program for the last 13 years, and the Portland Police Bureau work together regularly when officers suspect mental illness is involved in a police call. When police contact Project Respond, its staff is quickly on the scene to work with officers to help deal with the unique challenges these situations pose. Project Respond has trained mental health professionals who can recognize situations that are the result of mental illness and can help de-escalate them without the use of force.
While I don't second-guess any officer's decision, Project Respond was not contacted in the Chasse case. And the results were tragic, not only for Chasse, but for the officers involved and the witnesses who were shocked by the incident.
As a community, we must continue to acknowledge the unique challenges that mental illness pose for law enforcement. What is needed is a commitment to continue training officers to recognize mental illness and to access community resources to effectively deal with these challenges.
Ideally, all police officers would receive the crisis intervention team training that currently is provided to only a portion of the force. This intensive training in recognizing mental illness, in using verbal de-escalation skills and in identifying community resources ensures that officers are equipped to deal most appropriately with individuals with mental illness.
Law enforcement agencies across the country are taking the first steps toward making this a required training. In our state, Cascadia is active with Oregon Partners In Crisis, a group of criminal justice professionals, elected officials, consumers and attorneys in advocating for more crisis intervention team availability as well as programs to divert the mentally ill from our jails.
Police need to be able to recognize mental illness and work more effectively with someone who is experiencing a different reality. Research around crisis intervention team training consistently shows that its techniques lead to fewer arrests needed and less force required when an arrest has to be made.
Through pro-active steps, crisis intervention organizations can help take the burden off an already overtaxed judicial system and treat the mentally ill while successfully integrating them back into the community. Treatment of the mentally ill is considerably more humane, more beneficial to the community and less expensive than the cost to taxpayers each time someone is arrested.
We all need to take some of the responsibility for society's problems. Taking advantage of community-based programs that are successfully treating mental health problems needs to be part of the solution.
Leslie Ford is chief executive officer of Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare.
We can all agree that the recent death of James Phillip Chasse Jr. is a tragedy. And I share Portland Police Chief Rosie Sizer's view that Multnomah County's mental health system does not have adequate resources to do all that needs to be done. As a result, Sizer is right to say that too much of the burden falls to the police and jails.
Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare's Project Respond, the county's mental health crisis outreach program for the last 13 years, and the Portland Police Bureau work together regularly when officers suspect mental illness is involved in a police call. When police contact Project Respond, its staff is quickly on the scene to work with officers to help deal with the unique challenges these situations pose. Project Respond has trained mental health professionals who can recognize situations that are the result of mental illness and can help de-escalate them without the use of force.
While I don't second-guess any officer's decision, Project Respond was not contacted in the Chasse case. And the results were tragic, not only for Chasse, but for the officers involved and the witnesses who were shocked by the incident.
As a community, we must continue to acknowledge the unique challenges that mental illness pose for law enforcement. What is needed is a commitment to continue training officers to recognize mental illness and to access community resources to effectively deal with these challenges.
Ideally, all police officers would receive the crisis intervention team training that currently is provided to only a portion of the force. This intensive training in recognizing mental illness, in using verbal de-escalation skills and in identifying community resources ensures that officers are equipped to deal most appropriately with individuals with mental illness.
Law enforcement agencies across the country are taking the first steps toward making this a required training. In our state, Cascadia is active with Oregon Partners In Crisis, a group of criminal justice professionals, elected officials, consumers and attorneys in advocating for more crisis intervention team availability as well as programs to divert the mentally ill from our jails.
Police need to be able to recognize mental illness and work more effectively with someone who is experiencing a different reality. Research around crisis intervention team training consistently shows that its techniques lead to fewer arrests needed and less force required when an arrest has to be made.
Through pro-active steps, crisis intervention organizations can help take the burden off an already overtaxed judicial system and treat the mentally ill while successfully integrating them back into the community. Treatment of the mentally ill is considerably more humane, more beneficial to the community and less expensive than the cost to taxpayers each time someone is arrested.
We all need to take some of the responsibility for society's problems. Taking advantage of community-based programs that are successfully treating mental health problems needs to be part of the solution.
Leslie Ford is chief executive officer of Cascadia Behavioral Healthcare.
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