Settling Lawsuits Cost Portland Police Bureau $1.14 Million In 2020
Portland, Ore. – Portland Police paid out over $1.14 million dollars last year to settle a number of lawsuits filed against the bureau. In all, ten settlements were reached, but only one of those lawsuits was actually filed in 2020. The others date back as far as 2014.
According to News Partner KGW most of these cases involves police use of force and discrimination claims. A big chunk of the money, $975,000 – went to the family of Lane Martin. The Portland State student was shot nine times by an officer and died in the summer of 2019. A grand jury decided not to charge that officer and that’s when Martin’s family filed the lawsuit. They claim he was experiencing a mental health crisis and was met with too much force.
There were also 270 tort claims filed against Portland police last year, they are just like an intent to sue – and allow for a settlement outside of court.
Our news partner KGW reports Portland is the only big city in the county where police don’t wear body cams. The police bureau and union say they want them, but it costs too much.
