Fatal shooting leads to $1.2 million payout
Aaron Campbell
Two-years after a local man was shot to death by Portland Police, the city of Portland has agreed to pay $1.2 million to settle a federal civil rights lawsuit, which was brought by the victim’s family.
Aaron Campbell, 25, was shot and killed at his apartment complex on Northeast Sandy Boulevard on Jan. 29, 2010. Police had arrived on the scene to respond to a 911 call, which said Campbell was suicidal after the death of his brother from a fatal heart condition, and that he was armed with a gun.
Although police attempted to alleviate the situation once they arrived, Campbell stepped outside his apartment with his hands behind his head, but did not respond to a command to put his hands in the air. Police fired several bean bag shots at Campbell before Officer Ronald Frashour III fired a single fatal shot in his back.
It turned out that Campbell was not armed, and his death sparked controversies over the Police Bureau’s use of force policies, especially as it relates to police interactions with people suffering from mental illnesses. Officer Frashour was fired from the Portland Police Bureau last year for his use of deadly force against Campbell.
The family, which includes Campbell’s mother Marva Davis and his four children, will receive the money in the settlement, which is the largest the city’s insurer has ever had to pay out from a lawsuit against the Portland Police Bureau.
As part of the settlement, Mayor Sam Adams personally apologized to Aaron Campbell’s family.
“Today’s settlement does not erase the Campbell family’s pain, nor does it bring back their father, son, brother, and cousin, and for that, I am very sorry,” Adams said.
The federal Justice Department is currently investigating the Portland Police Bureau’s use of force policies.
