Jonathan Levinson
OPB
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Past articles by Jonathan:
Police standoff near Portland’s Cathedral Park ends in fire, arrest but no injuries
A man who neighbors knew only as Brent and say had ongoing mental health issues prompted a standoff with police Friday at his St. Johns apartment. After an approximately three-hour standoff, the man started a fire in his apartment and was taken into custody. → Read More
Police shootings in Oregon increased in 2022
Oregon law enforcement shot at at least 40 people in 2022. Twenty-three were killed → Read More
Officer who shot, killed man in East Portland cleared of criminal charges
A Multnomah County grand jury has cleared the Portland police officer who shot and killed 40-year-old Aaron Stanton in Southeast Portland this summer. → Read More
Records imply Portland police slow-walked high profile homicide case
Portland police quickly obtained key evidence in the 2019 killing of anti-fascist Sean Kealiher, but waited more than two years to arrest the suspect, according to investigative file documents obtained by OPB. → Read More
Portland Police arrest man for the 2019 murder of leftist activist
Portland police announced Thursday they have made an arrest in the 2019 high-profile murder of a local anti-fascist. The case has drawn national attention in the years since, largely due to local activists’ insistence that police were not actively trying to find those involved in the murder of Sean Kealiher because of his political views. → Read More
US Justice Department says Portland police continue to violate their own use-of-force policies
Portland came into full compliance with a 2014 federal settlement agreement for the first time in February 2020, but years of progress quickly unraveled when that summer’s protests revealed significant gaps in the city police bureau’s adherence to its own directives. → Read More
Judge acquits Patriot Prayer founder Joey Gibson, 1 other, in Portland riot trial
A Multnomah County judge granted a motion Tuesday to acquit Patriot Prayer founder Joey Gibson along with Russell Schultz, saying Oregon law would not permit them to be convicted given the evidence. → Read More
Portland police hope to appoint gun violence-reduction team by end of week
The Portland Police Bureau hopes officers for a new team to address gun violence will be hired by the end of the week and operational by January. The Focused Intervention Team, a dedicated unit of one lieutenant, two sergeants and 12 officers will be tasked with interrupting cycles of retaliatory violence that can cause one shooting to lead to more. → Read More
Portland’s first Black police chief, Charles Moose, has died at age 68
Portland’s first Black police chief — an early supporter of community policing who went on to be the police chief in Montgomery County, Maryland, and to lead the 2002 investigation into the Beltway sniper — died at home, watching football in his recliner. → Read More
Dozens of Oregon law enforcement officers have been members of the far-right Oath Keepers militia
According to data leaked earlier this month and reviewed by OPB, more than two dozen current and former police officers, sheriff’s deputies, corrections officers, and members of the military in Oregon appear to have joined the anti-government, anti-immigrant extremist group since its founding in 2009. → Read More
Police identify victim in Thursday’s police shooting
The Portland Police Bureau identified the victim in Thursday’s police shooting as 40-year-old Michael Ray Townsend. Portland police officer Curtis Brown shot and killed Townsend in the parking lot of a Motel 6 during a welfare check. → Read More
Portland police release video, identify officer who shot and killed a man on Thursday
The Portland Police Bureau on Friday evening identified the officer who shot and killed a man Thursday in a Motel 6 parking lot as Officer Curtis Brown, who has been with the bureau for 18 years. → Read More
Portland police officer charged for assaulting activist photographer at protest
Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt announced Tuesday that his office indicted Portland Police Bureau officer Corey Budworth with one count of fourth degree assault. → Read More
As police departments eye body cameras, critics question their value
At a time when many larger police departments in Oregon — Hillsboro, Gresham, Beaverton, Washington County — have started using body cameras, recent killings of Black men and people in mental health crises in nearby Vancouver, Washington, have spurred calls for adoption there as well. But experts warn the effects of cameras on police behavior may not be significant. Some critics say body cameras… → Read More
With replacement in limbo, Portland auditor plans to wind down police oversight board
Details of the new voter-approved police oversight board remain scant but if the Portland city auditor’s budget proposal is approved, the current system will have a firm end in sight. Auditor Mary Hull Caballero’s proposal phases out Independent Police Review by June 30, 2022. → Read More
Portland mayor authorizes ‘all lawful means’ to clear protesters from occupied area on Mississippi Ave.
Law enforcement arrested at least seven people Tuesday as they moved to clear protesters from a North Mississippi Avenue home, which for months has been the site of protests as demonstrators rally against the eviction of the Black and Indigenous family living there. → Read More
Anticipating protests, Oregon governor orders extra law enforcement to stay in Portland
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown has extended a law enforcement unified command in Portland through Friday. Brown’s initial order was set to be in place through Wednesday afternoon. → Read More
Hundreds gather for pro-Trump vehicle rally in Portland suburb
Hundreds of pro-Trump demonstrators gathered at Clackamas Community College on Labor Day for a vehicle rally. → Read More
Person shot and killed during pro-Trump car caravan through downtown Portland
The "Trump Cruise-in" drew thousands of people to the Clackamas Town Center, from which they will drive to Portland where a clash with anti-racist demonstrators almost certainly awaits. → Read More
Some federal forces poised to leave Portland, others could remain through election
Law enforcement officials tell OPB federal officers could start to decrease their forces if the delicate peace holds for the next several days. → Read More