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From the Portland Mercury, March 20, 2008 Multnomah County’s commitment court ruled at the end of 2006 that an allegedly mentally ill woman should be locked in a psychiatric hospital, because it would be safer than wandering the streets like James Chasse — where the person risked being “beaten to death” by cops, according to […]

From OPB.com, March 18. 2008 LISTEN TO “Policing the Mentally Ill” (24MB MP3) In September of 2006, a schizophrenic man named James Chasse died in police custody, sending shockwaves throughout Portland and the state. At the time, Mayor Potter promised an overhaul of the system that failed Chasse. A year and a half later, the

County memo says two in-custody deaths will not be charged as homicides From The Portland Tribune A 43-year-old man told nurses he had chest pain. He received anti-anxiety medication, only to die of a heart attack. A 36-year-old woman told nurses she had pneumonia – and that her spleen had been removed, making the disease

From the Portland Mercury Multnomah County’s commitment court ruled two years ago an alleged mentally ill person should be locked in a psychiatric hospital because there was a risk she might be “beaten to death” by cops like James Chasse, if she were left to wander the streets, it was revealed yesterday. The appeals court

Documentary – “Alien Boy” deals with the case of James Chasse Jr., who died in police custodyFrom The Oregonian The Mental Health Association of Portland will be working with a Portland filmmaker to produce a documentary about the life and death of James P. Chasse Jr. The title, “Alien Boy,” refers to a song written

from the Portland Mercury “Disappointment…” – County Boss Soul Searches on Mental Health Center County Chair Ted Wheeler met with 60 mental health advocates last week to confess his disappointment over the county’s ongoing failure to reopen Portland’s sub-acute facility for people in mental health crisis. Since the closure of the crisis triage center in

Use of force – The suit is the third filed since last week involving Portland policeFrom The Oregonian A 45-year-old mother of eight whose arm was broken when a police officer and a sheriff’s deputy put her in a control hold is suing the city of Portland and Multnomah County for false arrest and battery.

The Chasse Files from the Portland Mercury It is arguably Portland’s most controversial cop lawsuit ever. And even though it will be almost two years before a jury is scheduled to sit down and rule on the case, the pre-trial hearings are already heated, with both sides accusing the other of trying to prejudice a

from the Portland MercuryCounty Goes Limp on Mental Health Triage Center A mental health triage center prioritized by Mayor Tom Potter’s Mental Health/Public Safety Initiative work group in January now looks like it’s slipping lower on Multnomah County’s list of funding priorities—leaving Portland’s cops with no option but to transport people in mental health crisis

from Portland Mercury Media Wants You to See Chasse Files A federal judge finally ordered the City of Portland last week to turn over crucial documents regarding James Philip Chasse Jr.—the schizophrenic man beaten and killed by Portland police last September—but added one condition: The attorney for Chasse’s family cannot release any of the information