Thread: Man killed by police was US Navy vet trying to break up fight, reports say

Man killed by police was US Navy vet trying to break up fight, reports say

By Bradford Betz
4 hours ago

Witnesses say Jason E. Washington, 45, of Portland, Ore., was fatally shot by Portland State University police late Friday.

A man fatally shot outside a sports bar by Portland State University campus police Friday night was a U.S. Navy veteran and father of three who was trying to break up a fight, reports said.

Jason E. Washington, 45, a U.S. Postal Service worker from Portland, Ore., was a licensed gun owner with a concealed carry permit, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.

But Washington's gun dropped when he intervened in a fight that began inside the bar moved outside, witnesses told OPB.

The fight reportedly began over a racial slur.

Cellphone footage shows a gun slipping away from Washington in the middle of the scuffle. Officers can be heard shouting, “Drop the gun!” several times, before firing their weapons.

Witness accounts differed on how the scene unfolded.

Keyaira Smith, who filmed the encounter, told OPB that Washington was "trying to be a good Samaritan."

“The gun slipped out of the holster when he had fallen, and I think he may have tried to retrieve it,” Smith said, adding that the officers began firing as soon as they saw the weapon.

“The gun slipped out of the holster when he had fallen, and I think he may have tried to retrieve it.”
- Keyaira Smith, witness

“There was absolutely no hesitation at all,” she said.

But Donald Dietz, 25, an employee at the sports bar, claimed that the officers warned Washington first.

“They warned him multiple times not to reach for it, but he did,” Dietz said. “People think they were overzealous, but they had to do it.”

The two responding campus police officers were identified as Shawn McKenzie and James Dewey. Both men became sworn officers in 2016, two years after Portland State University began allowing campus police to carry firearms.

The officers have been placed on paid administrative leave, the Oregonian reported. Portland State University released a statement saying it would not be releasing further information for the time being.

Multiple agencies are investigating the fatal shooting.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2018/07/01...ports-say.html

So sad.

So sad that he actually believed that a legal right to carry actually applied to him.

He needed to be smarter and leave the gun at home or he needs to be faster than the cop's bullets!

But Donald Dietz, 25, an employee at the sports bar, claimed that the officers warned Washington first.

“They warned him multiple times not to reach for it, but he did,” Dietz said. “People think they were overzealous, but they had to do it.”

Sounds like the shooting was justified. Folks need to listen when given instructions by law enforcement.

Originally Posted by Boomslang

So sad that he actually believed that a legal right to carry actually applied to him.

Are you implying that the victims race was why he was shot? What, pray tell, are you basing that assumption on?

Originally Posted by MW

Sounds like the shooting was justified. Folks need to listen when given instructions by law enforcement.

I don't necessarily agree. From what I read, police had time to aim their guns, a difference from a spontaneous shooting.

Why do police practice target shooting if they aren't going to try to hit anything but central body mass?

I recall the guy, I think in West Los Angeles, who after a car chase was standing surrounded by cops. He reached behind his back and several officers emptied their guns. He was unarmed. Normally they would be behind their cars or other shelter. And in that case, had plenty of time to take careful aim before he reached behind his back.

It's a matter of training. And they seem to be trained to execute!

Originally Posted by jtdc

I don't necessarily agree. From what I read, police had time to aim their guns, a difference from a spontaneous shooting.

Why do police practice target shooting if they aren't going to try to hit anything but central body mass?

I recall the guy, I think in West Los Angeles, who after a car chase was standing surrounded by cops. He reached behind his back and several officers emptied their guns. He was unarmed. Normally they would be behind their cars or other shelter. And in that case, had plenty of time to take careful aim before he reached behind his back.

It's a matter of training. And they seem to be trained to execute!

So should they have waited for the victim to pick up and take aim with the gun before firing or maybe waited until he actually squeezed of a shot? Exactly when do you think they should have fired? According to one witness he was warned several times not to reach for the gun. For the police it's a matter of life and death in these type of situations. If they react too late, they're dead.

Like Judy said, it's sad, but it could have all been prevented had the victim followed the instructions he was given. In a situation like this the police don't have time to second guess themselves. Well, anyway, that's my opinion.

Originally Posted by MW

Are you implying that the victims race was why he was shot? What, pray tell, are you basing that assumption on?

I based my implication on perception and simple understanding of the country I live in.
I don't know what country you live in, but I live in the USA.

If you cannot understand what was at play in that video, there is nothing I can do to help you understand.

Disclaimer:
The Young Turks are Leftist. But these Leftists speak to the underlying issues.

Originally Posted by MW

So should they have waited for the victim to pick up and take aim with the gun before firing or maybe waited until he actually squeezed of a shot? Exactly when do you think they should have fired?

You try really hard to not get the point! They had time to aim at his shoulder, arm, any non-lethal area, to disable him. A single shot would stun him and give them time to set up a second shot if he continue to reach for the gun.

Originally Posted by MW

According to one witness he was warned several times not to reach for the gun. For the police it's a matter of life and death in these type of situations. If they react too late, they're dead.

But that was plenty of time to line up a shot!

Originally Posted by MW

Like Judy said, it's sad, but it could have all been prevented had the victim followed the instructions he was given. In a situation like this the police don't have time to second guess themselves.

Yes, it could have been prevented if he had followed their instructions. But we will never know what was going though his mind as he was in the middle of a fight. With noise and confusion, did he know it was the police?

"Officers can be heard shouting, 'Drop the gun!' several times, before firing their weapons." "Their weapons"! Given that they had time, it should have been a single shot.

You had another witness stating "adding that the officers began firing as soon as they saw the weapon.

'The gun slipped out of the holster when he had fallen, and I think he may have tried to retrieve it.'
- Keyaira Smith, witness

'There was absolutely no hesitation at all,' she said."

Perhaps video will show which is true. Other reports say Washington had his back to the officer when he was shot.