City Council Candidates Protest City’s Defense of Policeman Who Killed Quanice Hayes

The candidates called the argument "disgusting, oppressive, and polarizing."

Drawing of Quanice Hayes (Joe Riedl)

In a letter addressed to Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and the other members of City Council, four candidates for city council urged the city to withdraw its defense of a police officer who shot and killed 17-year-old Quanice Hayes in 2017.

"The ugly history of state-sponsored racism, discrimination, and violence against communities of color in this city can't be erased, but we can start doing better today," the letter said. "You should direct the City Attorney to voluntarily withdraw this ludicrous argument today."

The letter was signed by mayoral candidate Sarah Iannarone and city council candidates Sam Adams, Loretta Smith and Carmen Rubio.

The letter cited yesterday's reporting from the Portland Mercury, which said that city attorneys blamed Hayes, a teenager, and his mother, Venus, for Hayes' death.

In 2017, Portland Police Officer Andrew Heart shot Hayes three times when the teenager was crawling out of an alcove between a garage and a house.

Officers thought Hayes had a weapon based on earlier reports that he robbed a man at gunpoint. The gun turned out to be a toy.

City attorneys argued that Hayes' decision to carry the toy gun contributed to his death, the Mercury reported, and that Hayes had been acting out prior to the shooting, and his mother, Venus, should have foreseen the incident taking place.

"That argument is disgusting, oppressive, and polarizing – only serving the interest of creating deeper rifts between vulnerable communities and the city that is meant to serve them," the candidates said in their letter.

Willamette Week’s reporting has concrete impacts that change laws, force action from civic leaders, and drive compromised politicians from public office. Support WW's journalism today.