 BREAKING RANKS: Criticisms by Randy Leonard (left) of how police handled James Chasse (right) may complicate the city defense of a suit filed by Chasse’s family.
IMAGE: Randy Leonard photo by Craig Mitchelldyer |
City Commissioner Randy Leonard will make a star witness if the lawsuit over the 2006 death of James Chasse Jr. in police custody goes to trial this March as scheduled.
But he probably won’t be testifying for the city in its defense against the lawsuit filed by Chasse’s family. Not after Leonard made remarks at a City Council meeting last week—captured on video—that Chasse’s death from massive blunt force trauma was “completely unjustifiable and inexcusable.”
Leonard’s statement Oct. 21 was remarkable coming from a high-ranking city official in a case that has inflamed public opinion and widened rifts between cops and the community.
And it went against what city commissioners have said was the advice of the City Attorney’s Office, perhaps weakening the city’s position in avoiding a potentially staggering payout to the Chasse family in its lawsuit seeking unspecified damages. Multnomah County settled its smaller piece of the suit last July for $925,000.
The Chasse family’s attorney, Tom Steenson, declined to comment on Leonard’s remarks. But other prominent cop-suing lawyers in town who are not involved with the case say they wouldn’t hesitate to employ Leonard’s remarks against the city in court.
“I would absolutely use it every way I possibly could,” says lawyer Steven Sherlag. “Kudos to Randy Leonard for speaking the truth.”
“I would show the video in [my] opening statement,” says lawyer Greg Kafoury. “I would thank Mr. Leonard for his honesty and his courage in not hiding behind attorneys or bureaucrats and for not knuckling under to the power of the police union.”
Leonard says he isn’t worried about hurting the city’s case.
“I’m elected by the citizens of Portland to do the right thing, not try to win court cases in incidents involving the death of Portland citizens,” Leonard says. “My first obligation above all is to represent the citizens of Portland, and underneath that umbrella includes financially protecting them but also protecting their civil rights and making sure they are safe.”
Leonard’s remarks came after a series of public disputes with Commissioner Dan Saltzman, assigned by Mayor Sam Adams to oversee the Police Bureau. Most recently, Saltzman spoke up against Leonard’s effort to arm Water Bureau security with guns and provide them with police training. On Tuesday, Saltzman proposed giving those guards less-lethal options like pepper spray or Tasers.
Leonard denies his remarks on Chasse were meant to pressure Saltzman politically. Instead, he says a number of factors prompted him to speak out more than three years after Chasse’s death.
First was Police Chief Rosie Sizer’s announcement in September that the officers’ use of force in arresting Chasse was justified under police policy. Leonard says he held off speaking publicly until after the findings were complete.
Leonard says with the Chasse case, the Police Bureau “continues an almost insane set of circumstances wherein it makes it inevitable Portlanders are going to be seriously hurt or killed.” Sizer’s office declined to comment.
Then came what Leonard describes as a private conversation in which Saltzman insisted on speaking out publicly about issues Saltzman is concerned about. Leonard says he’s taking the same tack now with the Chasse case. Saltzman’s office declined to comment.
“This is not about a power struggle,” Leonard says. “What it is about is Dan’s increasingly personal attacks of me at Council, on whatever the issue is.”
The dispute takes its place atop a growing pile of Leonard’s public disagreements with fellow politicos. But his Chasse statement shocked even seasoned City Hall veterans.
Charlie Makinney, a liaison to the Police Bureau under former mayors Vera Katz and Tom Potter when both mayors managed the bureau, says Leonard’s behavior would never have been tolerated by Katz.
“She never, that I know of, threatened consequences to another commissioner for a stand they were taking. But I think commissioners assumed they were not going to make her happy,” Makinney says. “Sam should have that kind of discussion with Randy.”
Leonard confirms he discussed the situation with Adams, who chose last year not to manage the bureau and who has counted on Leonard’s support during his own tumultuous first year.
“Sam is a very thoughtful, contemplative guy, and listened to what I said, and nodded that he understood,” Leonard says. “He respects that, and I appreciate that about Sam.”
FACT: Saltzman helped Leonard’s political career in 1993, when Saltzman was the deciding vote on the Multnomah County Board of Commissioners to appoint Leonard to fill a vacancy in the state Senate.
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Spot on!
"Charlie Makinney, a liaison to the Police Bureau under former mayors Vera Katz and Tom Potter when both mayors managed the bureau, says Leonard’s behavior would never have been tolerated by Katz. “She never, that I know of, threatened consequences to another commissioner for a stand they were taking. But I think commissioners assumed they were not going to make her happy,” Makinney says. “Sam should have that kind of discussion with Randy.”
Mr. Makinney...wake-up! Consider the subject matter your responding to. The death of a citizen, at the hands of public servants.
You're coming across as a cockroach. And based on your public disclosure about a former public servant's transparency. My guess is that you're next on the "Orkin" list. The lights are on. Time to scurry like everyone else did three years ago. Find a safe dark corner and hope everyone buys that it was "victim assisted suicide". How do you all sleep at night?
Question: Whose next?
Leonard, A PUBLIC SERVANT, spoke-out about the injustices perpetrated against one of his employer's, not to mention one of his fellow citzens, James Chasse. That's his right.
The fact that only Leonard and Wheeler have had the decency to do so, is a pretty sad commentary on the remaining silent local officials in authority we we continue to allow to warm their their flatulent tuccesses in our local government offices. Letting civil rights fall by the wayside in favor of "easy wins", while keeping the union status quo.
Question: Whose next?
You are public servants who in my opinion, repeatedly, with your silence, enable injustices against our "peeps", with arrogance, no consequences and only when outed and compelled by a rising ground swell of public outrage...manage to eek-out a forced apology. Now we actually are seeing pictures of our citizens dying, hog-tied on a street, while authorities chat.
James Chasse mattered. He was someone's son and grandson...possibly someone's nephew, brother and/or a uncle. Do we know if James Chasse was a father and/or grandfather?
We certainly know that in the end, James Chasse was ALSO a human being, with a disability not of his choosing, and most likely the cause of an unfortunate compulsion to bolt from perceived threats to his safety.
Now consider that old fall-back line some paranoid's reference when defending their fear; "Just because you think someone's out to get you, doesn't mean they aren't."
We have have witnesses. And we have pictures that tell us the whole story without "unnecessary chatter".
A reasonable person does not need complex schematics and/or over-spun recounts of who was on first base. It's all there in a photo. James Chasse dying while others chatted, kicked his glasses and looked on.
Everyone who meted-out Chasse's fate, which includes those who; ran him down like a wild animal, restrained him, struck fatal blows, while in uniform looked the other way as he screamed Mercy! Mercy! Mercy!, denied him medical assistance and human comfort as he lay scared, gurgling, and dying...mere inches from inhumane assistance. Could it possibly get any worse than this? Not.
Keep shouting Randy and don't let them silence you. And my apologies for all the crappy things I've ever said about you.
>@ passing peace pipe @<
Change can happen. Sometimes past wrongs can be righted and consciences cleared simply by doing the right thing, taking a stand and refusing to participate in any further suppression of official misconduct, when it involves injustices against out citizens.
And Randy while we are on the subject, is there anything else you think we should know about? Just checking. =^..^=
And as for those who suppressed this incredible injustice and others for THREE LONG YEARS! And did not zealously pursue justice for Mr. Chasse, while operating from behind a thick-veiled curtain of secrecy? In my opinion, additional acts of injustice and misconduct.
Quit selling yourselves, our city and most important our citizens out to dysfunctional union employees and the unions who obviously own you, ya dumb asses. Do you need to see more pictures? I can supply some, if needed.
In my opinion, authorities, far more than Leonard, had an obligation to act swiftly and zealously with regard to Chasse's injustice. So many lines have been repeatedly crossed there. I don't believe there's any going back or making amends for those folks.
It's time for some karmic relief.
How grossly unfair to rely on the police force to deal with the raging mentally ill who are left on our streets. Yes, training might help, but some sort of comprehensive mental health policy would be so much better. Until we have such a thing, next time there is a mentally ill person raging and urinating in the streets, I suggest you call Randy Leonard so he can offer "that umbrella that includes finacially protecting them but also protecting their civil rights and making sure they are safe." If he is the only guy who can do it, let's get him on it!