PORTLAND, OR - The city attorney of Portland, Oregon is reportedly set to appeal a jury's verdict after they found a Portland Police Officer Curtis Brown negligent in the shooting death of Michael Ray Townsend, 40.
As reported by OPB, City Attorney Robert Taylor has requested that the Portland City Council approve his appeal of the verdict handed down by the Multnomah County Circuit Court. Should he receive approval Taylor is expected to argue that Brown acted consistently with the state's use of force laws during the confrontation with Townsend that ended in his death.
As reported by The Associated Press, a Grand Jury initially cleared Brown of any charges in 2021 after Townsend allegedly consumed a "large amount" of methamphetamine before dialing 911 for help. When Brown arrived he told them he wanted to go to the hospital and officers said they needed to pat him down. Townsend rushed the officers with a modified screwdriver and Townsend was forced to fire in self-defense.
In Court filings in May, Senior Deputy City Attorney Naomi Sheffield argued that Brown didn't cause the shooting of Townsend and that the jury's verdict of negligence wasn’t “legally supported by the evidence,” according to OPB.
As reported by OregonLive, jurors awarded Townsend's parents $1 million. The family's attorney Michael Fuller told reporters, “The jury found that there were plenty of alternatives for less-lethal force that he declined to consider." He added, “Had he explored them, he could have spared the life of Michael Townsend.”
The City Attorney argued there was no evidence to indicate that the city's Enhanced Crisis Intervention Team members would have handled the case differently and that Officer Brown had no time during the attack to draw his Taser or another less-than-lethal option.
As reported by OPB, City Attorney Robert Taylor has requested that the Portland City Council approve his appeal of the verdict handed down by the Multnomah County Circuit Court. Should he receive approval Taylor is expected to argue that Brown acted consistently with the state's use of force laws during the confrontation with Townsend that ended in his death.
As reported by The Associated Press, a Grand Jury initially cleared Brown of any charges in 2021 after Townsend allegedly consumed a "large amount" of methamphetamine before dialing 911 for help. When Brown arrived he told them he wanted to go to the hospital and officers said they needed to pat him down. Townsend rushed the officers with a modified screwdriver and Townsend was forced to fire in self-defense.
A grand jury has cleared a Portland police officer in the deadly shooting of Michael Ray Townsend, a man who called for help during a mental-health crisis and later brandished a screwdriver, prosecutors said. https://t.co/DeAftgomCC
— The Seattle Times (@seattletimes) September 16, 2021
In Court filings in May, Senior Deputy City Attorney Naomi Sheffield argued that Brown didn't cause the shooting of Townsend and that the jury's verdict of negligence wasn’t “legally supported by the evidence,” according to OPB.
As reported by OregonLive, jurors awarded Townsend's parents $1 million. The family's attorney Michael Fuller told reporters, “The jury found that there were plenty of alternatives for less-lethal force that he declined to consider." He added, “Had he explored them, he could have spared the life of Michael Townsend.”
The City Attorney argued there was no evidence to indicate that the city's Enhanced Crisis Intervention Team members would have handled the case differently and that Officer Brown had no time during the attack to draw his Taser or another less-than-lethal option.
For corrections or revisions, click here.
The opinions reflected in this article are not necessarily the opinions of LET
Comments
2024-09-07T23:17-0400 | Comment by: Cindy
If the officer had explored other alternatives" HE would most likely be dead. If Townsend had killled Officer Brown, were the jurors willing to fork over $1 million to his family?