PORTLAND, Ore. -- The Portland police officer on paid leave for firing a beanbag shotgun round at point blank range and striking a 12-year-old girl in the thigh has filed a stress disability claim, according to the Oregonian.
Christopher Humphreys was placed on leave after firing the round Saturday night at a MAX station in East Multnomah County. Police were responding to reports of a large group that included suspected gang members leaving a party near 162nd and Halsey.
Police union president Sgt. Scott Westerman told the Oregonian that Humprhreys "was hung out to dry for three years" during a protracted internal investigation into the death of James P. Chasse Jr., 42, taken down by officers in September, 2006.
Humphreys shot the girl with a beanbag gun after she attacked officers trying to arrest her, police Chief Rosie Sizer said Thursday. Humphreys was previously investigated and cleared in the 2006 in-custody death of Portlander Chasse.
Video of last weekend's confrontation involving Officer Aaron Dauchy and Officer Christopher Humphreys was captured on a TriMet surveillance camera.
The union was scheduled for a no-confidence vote on Sizer and Police Commissioner Dan Salzman.
Watch the raw, unedited surveillance video clips:
Clip 1 | Clip 2
“After reviewing the video, I am troubled by it," Chief Sizer said as she announced that Officer Humphreys had been placed on paid administrative leave. Sizer said the Internal Affairs Division would conduct an immediate and full investigation into whether the use of force was justified.
"The actions I witnessed on the video are not consistent with my expectations and what I believe are the community's expectations for a Portland police Officer," Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman.
A Portland Police Union spokesperson reacted angrily to the decision, saying the Police Chief and Commissioner were treating Humphreys unfairly. Union officials said they were outraged complained that the Commissioner and police chief were over-reacting because of Humphreys' involvement in another controversial case.
"Had they not already had the predetermined bias against officer Humphreys we would not be here today," Scott Westerman with the Portland Police Association said. "She was shot in the leg. That is appropriate. It's trained. It's taught."
Saltzman defended his decision to suspend the officer. "In this situation, I saw something that I didn't think was acceptable and I wanted to act quickly to remove an officer from the street," said Saltzman.
Commissioner Saltzman added that he reviewed surveillance video of the incident and found it "disturbing." The commissioner believes Officer Humphreys could have avoided using a beanbag gun. "He could have used both hands to assist officer Dauchy in handcuffing her and securing her."
The police officers union argued that Humpheys did nothing wrong. "Chief Sizer and Commissioner Saltzman are saying that this is not what is expected of a Portland Police officer. So I have to ask, what do they expect? So they expect the officers to be assaulted?" questioned union president Sgt. Scott Westerman.
Officer investigated in Chasse death
Humphreys was cleared of any wrongdoing in the 2006 death of 42-year-old James Chasse.
Chasse was tackled by officers in Old Town in September, 2006 and taken to jail. He later died on the way to a hospital.
In August, 2009, the Multnomah County Commission voted to pay the family of James Chasse $925,000 as a settlement to a civil lawsuit filed over the mentally ill man's death. The county decided not to pursue criminal charges against Officer Humphrey in the case.
Earlier In November, Police Commissioner Dan Saltzman recently recommended Humphreys be suspended for his role in the incident.
Officers were responding to large party
Investigators said just before 11 p.m. Saturday, Dauchy and Humphreys were called to a large party at 162nd and Northeast Halsey. Sizer said the party was attended by groups of suspected gang members. A gun had also been recovered from some brush in the area, officers said, and between 75 and 100 teens were leaving the party.
One group went to a nearby bus stop and were angrily shouting about wanting to fight. Portland and Gresham officers said as soon as police arrived, the group began to disband.
According to Sizer, Dauchy saw a girl who he knew had been excluded from riding the MAX as part of a group of teens that got on a train at the stop on 162nd. When the train pulled in to the stop at 148th, police said Dauchy saw another boy he knew was on the TriMet exclusion list and took him into custody. Investigators said as he began to take the 12-year-old girl into custody, she hit him in the face and resisted arrest.
Police said officers repeated warnings to her to stop resisting or she would be hit with a beanbag gun, Officer Humphreys fired the weapon at her thigh at close range. Investigators said "she became compliant and the officers began to take her into custody when she began to resist again."
Another officer arrived and they were able to handcuff her, and medics were told she had a bruised thigh but did not need to be taken to the hospital.
The girl was charged with assaulting an officer, resisting arrest and interfering with public transportation.
“I believe it is the best interest of the community and the members of the Portland Police Bureau to quickly act and investigate this fully. I ask the community and the media to remember that there is a juvenile involved and therefore, we are being very careful in providing the public records protection regarding her identity that is afforded to juveniles,” said Chief Sizer.
Police said they were also in contact with the girl’s mother.
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