Skip to main contentIn the furor over the May 5 killing of Kendra James as she drove away from a traffic stop, there's still one question that has not been asked: Why did Officer Scott McCollister pull his gun?
The early-morning tragedy on the North Skidmore Street I-5 overpass is laid out in investigative reports released last week. To prevent James from driving away in a Chevy Cavalier, McCollister--contrary to his training--climbed into the car and attempted to pull the 21-year-old African-American woman out. She wouldn't budge. He tried to pepper-spray her, but he hit the button wrong. He pulled at her hair. He got a wig instead.
Finally, when she threw the car into drive, he pulled his gun, placed it next to her head, and yelled, "Get out of the fucking car!"
The Portland Police Bureau has no policy for when cops should draw their weapons. But sources say the rule of thumb is to draw it when you might need to defend yourself.
The James incident "is not a situation where you normally would pull your gun," says one veteran cop, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
McCollister told detectives his intent was to "sway" James into switching off the engine. But the bluff backfired when the car lurched forward.
At that point, McCollister's grasp of a pistol apparently gave him the use of only one hand to avoid falling backward out of the car. It was the fear of falling under the car, he told detectives, that made him shoot.
The drawing of McCollister's gun will probably be an issue in the lawsuit the James family is planning. Kelvin Hall, a spokesman for the family, says they've heard from local cops that the gun should never have been drawn.
In addition to the lawsuit, the city is conducting an internal review that could lead to the discipline or firing of McCollister, and the FBI is reviewing the case for potential civil-rights charges.
WWeek 2015