Statement on Portland Police shooting death
Portland, Oregon— Yesterday, Portland Police officers killed a man who is reported to have been in crisis. Below is our statement:
Statement from Jake Cornett, Executive Director, Disability Rights Oregon
We express our deepest sympathies to the family of the individual who was killed. We don’t yet know all of the facts of the situation, but the person appears to have been experiencing a mental health crisis.
He was the 30th person killed in an encounter with Portland Police – by shooting, in a fire or in custody – since 2010. Of the forty people killed by the Portland Police Bureau since 2003, at least twenty lived with mental illness. Not a single one of those cases resulted in criminal charges or even officer discipline. Accountability is needed to deter future use of force and build community trust.
About
Disability Rights Oregon
Disability Rights Oregon upholds the civil rights of people with disabilities to live, work, and engage in the community. The nonprofit works to transform systems, policies, and practices to give more people the opportunity to reach their full potential. For more than 40 years, the organization has served as Oregon’s Protection & Advocacy system.
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