Oregon Public Broadcasting

Portland’s police union is questioning a new directive from Chief Rosie Sizer that tells them to be more thoughtful when tackling suspects on the run. Kristian Foden-Vencil reports.

The directive comes after an internal investigation into the death of James Chasse. He died in 2006 after a chase that left him with 26 fractured bones. Police thought he was urinating in public.

Chief Rosie Sizer now wants her officers to think about whether they need to run after someone, and how they might aprehend the suspect with minimal injuries.

Scott Westerman is a police union spokesman. He  says every chase is different and officers are already thinking about such safety decisions.

Scott Westerman: “I  think that probably through the middle of a downtown shopping mall during Christmas, I think that’s probably not a good idea -- especially for a petty offense. But if you’re talking about a major felony, that’s a different story completely. But for a case like this, when you’ve got someone who’s urinating against a wall, and an officer contacts him out on the open street, I don’t see how any policy is going to restrict that kind of foot pursuit.”

An internal review of the Chasse case was presented to the bureau’s Use of Force Board in October. Its recommendations have yet to be released.