07:06 AM PDT on Thursday, April 6, 2006

By ANTONIA GIEDWOYN, kgw.com Staff

Embattled Portland Police Chief Derrick Foxworth called the woman accusing him of sexual impropriety and police misconduct "bitter and angry" on Wednesday, hours after X-rated e-mails he allegedly wrote to her went public.

KGW photo

Portland Police Chief Derrick Foxworth speaks with KGW on Wednesday.

Legal documents pertaining to the allegations Foxworth faces include explicit language in e-mails he allegedly sent to the female police desk clerk.

In a tort claim released Wednesday, plaintiff Angela Oswalt, 46, alleges Foxworth coerced her into a secret sexual relationship and that she feared for her future employment if she did not submit.

The document says Foxworth was married and also living with a mistress at the time. Although he soon got divorced and eventually married the live-in girlfriend, he "continued to try and solicit the claimant," the notice states.

E-mails Foxworth allegedly sent Oswalt before becoming chief spell detail after detail of various sexual acts he would like to perform with her.

"...I push my body closer to you so you can feel my ...," reads part of one e-mail.

The document claims Oswalt did have sexual relations with Foxworth, who demanded and threatened that she should never tell anyone about their relationship.

The claim also alleges that Foxworth frequently returned to police duty after drinking alcohol at Oswalt's home.

The document alerts the city of a possible lawsuit.

"...she will be seeking damages for retaliation by the City and/or its employees or high-ranking representatives... in particular under state and federal Whistle Blowing Statutes," the supplemental claim notice states.

According to the supplemental claim, "It is apparent that women employees of the Police Department who complain about misconduct are to be subjected to public... attacks to try and force their silence."

Foxworth peppered with questions about graphic e-mails

After the legal document was released Wednesday, Foxworth spoke with KGW and kgw.com, addressing the claim.

“…it’s unfortunate that these things have been shared," he said. "Obviously they appear to be from a person who is very bitter and angry...”

Foxworth added that he regrets not being able to provide any details regarding the "very personal matter that occurred five to six years ago as a brief relationship.”

When asked whether he sent the e-mails detailed in the claim document, Foxworth declined comment.

He is the subject of a city investigation into the allegations and has said he did not violate any city rules or regulations and expects to be cleared of any wrongdoing.

"What we're really trying to ascertain is whether or not there were some policies violated and whether any improprieties occurred on city time, using city resources," said Yvonne Deckert, the city's human resources director.

The tort claim suggests Foxworth sent the emails from police bureau computers and called Oswalt from work phones. It also claims he drove an unmarked police car when visiting Oswalt at her home.

Foxworth will remain in his job while the allegations are investigated by the city's human resources bureau, Mayor Tom Potter said in a brief statement Tuesday.

Potter said he has been aware of the allegations since mid-March.

Oswalt is a 10-year member of the bureau. She has worked as a desk clerk at the North precinct since 1997, said her co-worker, Ray Jones.

Jones said Oswalt left work early Tuesday, citing union business. Oswalt, who lives in Clackamas, is a shop steward for the American Federation of State, Municipal and County Employees.

He said Oswalt had not confided in anyone at the precinct about her allegations, and that he had "never known" her to have contact with Foxworth, whom he called "a straightforward person."

"Unless she has specific pictures or something, I wouldn't believe it," Jones said before the tort claim was released.

Foxworth also won support from Robert King, the president of the Portland Police Association, who said the chief has his confidence and his respect.

“You know, allegations come and go in this line of work…I would just ask people to withhold any judgement until all the information is available," he said.

Oswalt did not return a phone message left at her home.

Foxworth has been chief of police in Portland since 2003. He was appointed by Potter's predecessor, former Mayor Vera Katz, during a period of turmoil for the city's police force, after an unarmed black woman was shot and killed during a traffic stop.

A Portland native and the second black man to lead Portland's police department, Foxworth is a 22-year veteran of the police department who had previously overseen the bureau's tactical operations unit, its property evidence and identification divisions.

During his tenure, Foxworth and Potter have had a few public spats. Foxworth was unhappy when Potter decided to pull Portland officers out of an FBI-led anti-terrorism team, and the two have disagreed on where to make cuts to the police budget.

The two have a long-standing relationship, though. Before running for mayor, Potter spent 27 years in the Portland Police Bureau. He helped bring Foxworth, 18 years his junior, up through the ranks, and Foxworth served as Potter's public information officer.

(The Associated Press also contributed to this article.)