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Tags Brian Hunzeker , Jo Ann Hardesty , police incidents , police issues , police misconduct charges , Portland incidents , racism charges

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Old 4th August 2021, 08:46 PM   #1
shemp
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Pissing off the police union president while Black

Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty planning to take legal action against Portland regarding false hit-and-run allegations

Quote:
PORTLAND, Ore. — Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty’s legal representation wrote the city of Portland to make them aware that she plans to take legal action against the city for its role in wrongly accusing her of being the suspect in a hit-and-run in March.

The notice of claim says former Portland Police Association (PPA) president and Portland Police Bureau (PPB) officer Brian Hunzeker wrongfully leaked the incorrect information about Hardesty having participated in a criminal hit-and-run to other city employees and to the press. The information was leaked to The Oregonian and right-wing media sources, disseminating the information quickly.
Quote:
On March 3, 2021, at 4:48 p.m., a Black woman driving a tan Toyota Corolla was involved in a hit-and-run with a white woman. The hit-and-run victim called the city to report that Ms. Hardesty was the person who had hit her. She “swore on her life” that it was Commissioner Hardesty that had hit her.

At around 11:24 p.m., police met with the hit-and-run victim to investigate her complaint. Around 1 a.m., police arrived at Hardesty’s home and, according to Hardesty’s representation, knocked so loudly on Hardesty’s door that it woke her neighbors. The notice says that this was likely done in an attempt to do a “perp walk” with Hardesty.

“This show of force was extreme given that the reported damage to the vehicle was a one-centimeter circle on the white woman’s bumper possibly caused by the license plate screw from the offending driver’s license plates,” the claim says. It goes on to point out that Portlanders, especially Black Portlanders, have to wait hours for police to respond to more serious crimes, if a response comes at all.

On March 4, 2021, police found video of the incident that did indeed show that the car was a tan Toyota Corolla, which was traced to a woman in Vancouver. Hardesty does not own a tan car, she owns a silver Volvo that is inoperative. The suspect also had short white hair while Hardesty’s hair is longer and black, the notice of claim says. Hardesty’s representation says the report was “based on the false and racist assumption and stereotype that all Black people look the same and that Black people are more likely to engage in criminal activity.”
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Old 4th August 2021, 09:25 PM   #2
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It doesn't sound like the actual driver of the hit-and-run car looked even remotely like Commissioner Hardesty, aside from being black. And it certainly sounds like the police were in an unrealistic hurry to bang on Hardesty's door despite no evidence whatsoever.

Given Hardesty's activism which was obviously a thorn in the police's side, it's unsurprising that the cops were willing and eager to pin the incident on her based on nothing but uncorroborated witness testimony; but I'm curious what made the driver of the car that was hit so adamant that the offender was this specific woman.
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Old 5th August 2021, 12:20 AM   #3
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Cue the usual suspects to come along and educate us all about how this is anything and everything but racism.
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Old 5th August 2021, 01:06 AM   #4
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I would really like an outside investigative agency to delve into the background of the woman who "swore on her life" that a woman with short white hair looked "exactly" like a woman with long black hair.
I'm guessing there may be a very strong link between the woman who reported the H&R and at least one Portland police officer.
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Last edited by rockinkt; 5th August 2021 at 01:09 AM.
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Old 5th August 2021, 04:22 AM   #5
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Originally Posted by smartcooky View Post
Cue the usual suspects to come along and educate us all about how this is anything and everything but racism.
Oh sure like every case of police harassments of their political enemies has to be racism. Police do a lot of harassment and framing entirely independent of racist motivations. For example the NYPD had officer Adrian Schoolcraft a white officer illegally committed to a mental institution. Clearly not racism at all in that.
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Old 5th August 2021, 04:36 AM   #6
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Portland police wielding their authority to advance their own political agenda? I don't believe it!
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Old 5th August 2021, 04:46 AM   #7
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Perhaps the suspect was Wesen? After all, Portland Police are always ignoring procedure when it comes to dealing with Wesen...


Sorry! Grimm always comes to mind when the Portland Police are mentioned!
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Old 5th August 2021, 11:25 AM   #8
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Originally Posted by Checkmite View Post
It doesn't sound like the actual driver of the hit-and-run car looked even remotely like Commissioner Hardesty, aside from being black. And it certainly sounds like the police were in an unrealistic hurry to bang on Hardesty's door despite no evidence whatsoever.

Given Hardesty's activism which was obviously a thorn in the police's side, it's unsurprising that the cops were willing and eager to pin the incident on her based on nothing but uncorroborated witness testimony; but I'm curious what made the driver of the car that was hit so adamant that the offender was this specific woman.
Hardesty is frequently photographed / depicted as having graying to whitish beaded dreads of variable length; that she frequently keeps (partially) bound up or tucked into clothing. The description is not as far off as you seem to imagine; particularly if an eyewitness actually claimed to be positive beyond a reasonable doubt that it was her.

Hardesty might have a point about the police response though. For the sake of comparison, there have been HUNDREDS of shooting incidents in Portland and surroundings since the beginning of this year. I've had friends and acquaintances who were essentially shrugged off (i.e. no police investigation) after trying to report vandalism/theft damages that were probably more than incurred in that hit-and-run. Though I expect the extent of damages wouldn't have been immediately apparent to the police...and presuming honesty / forthright account of the eyewitness, the assertion of of a positive ID might have made the difference in a hypothetical unbiased police agency.

Hardesty's entire political career has essentially been built on racism and police reform so, yeah, there has been much headbutting.

Last edited by Shadowdweller; 5th August 2021 at 11:29 AM.
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Old 7th August 2021, 08:03 AM   #9
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Originally Posted by Checkmite View Post
It doesn't sound like the actual driver of the hit-and-run car looked even remotely like Commissioner Hardesty, aside from being black. And it certainly sounds like the police were in an unrealistic hurry to bang on Hardesty's door despite no evidence whatsoever.

Given Hardesty's activism which was obviously a thorn in the police's side, it's unsurprising that the cops were willing and eager to pin the incident on her based on nothing but uncorroborated witness testimony; but I'm curious what made the driver of the car that was hit so adamant that the offender was this specific woman.
My gut feeling is that the entire thing was a setup. The alleged victim of the hit and run was "in on it". As minor as the damage apparently was, I'm not sure there was a traffic accident at all.
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Old 7th August 2021, 05:01 PM   #10
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Originally Posted by Shadowdweller View Post
Hardesty is frequently photographed / depicted as having graying to whitish beaded dreads of variable length; that she frequently keeps (partially) bound up or tucked into clothing.
I have seen what people look like when they have a bunch of beaded locks bound up or tucked into clothing, and they look nothing whatsoever like someone with short hair.
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Old 8th August 2021, 08:07 AM   #11
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Originally Posted by CORed View Post
My gut feeling is that the entire thing was a setup. The alleged victim of the hit and run was "in on it". As minor as the damage apparently was, I'm not sure there was a traffic accident at all.
Agreed. The description of the damage makes me think that was all the damage the "victim" was willing to incur in order to make the false report. If I had someone hit me and drive away with only the most minor cosmetic bumper damage, I wouldn't even bother calling the cops.
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Old 9th August 2021, 04:23 AM   #12
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Originally Posted by CORed View Post
My gut feeling is that the entire thing was a setup. The alleged victim of the hit and run was "in on it". As minor as the damage apparently was, I'm not sure there was a traffic accident at all.
The alleged "victim" supposedly ID'd the driver in a hit-and-run, but didn't grab a license plate #. The whole thing is a pretty obvious setup.
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