City Of Portland OKs $1.6M Settlement In Chasse Case

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The City of Portland approved the biggest law enforcement settlement in its history Wednesday. As Kristian Foden-Vencil reports, the family and lawyers of James Chasse will receive $1.6 million.

Chasse died four years ago after being violently arrested by the Portland Police.

The family has already agreed to a $900,000 settlement with Multnomah County, and another $600,000 with the AMR ambulance company. 

But many Portlanders, including Commissioner Randy Leonard, still have questions about what happened.

Randy Leonard: "I'm not clear why the amount of force was used for a 42-year-old schizophrenic man, that weighed 145 pounds. And the answer I've been given in the police force is: that's how we're trained to take down people a certain way. That's probably true. But, if that's how you're trained, the police bureau also ought to use as a standard of conduct, use your experience, use your judgment in making any decision that involves physical force."

The police bureau made policy changes after the case.

Chasse's family issued a statement saying it's relieved there's a settlement, but called it a very rough form of justice.

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