In a three-page letter delivered to District Attorney Michael Schrunk, members of the grand jury in the Aaron Campbell police shooting case said that, although they did not return indictments against officers involved, “something went terribly, terribly wrong… Aaron Campbell should not have died that day.”
“He was not accused of a crime,” the letter continues. “The police were called to do a ‘welfare check’ because Mr. Campbell was distraught over his brother’s death and family members were worried about him.”
“We feel that his death resulted from flawed police policies, incomplete or inappropriate training, incomplete communication, and other issues with the police effort. We feel strongly that something must be done to correct this, and the Portland Police Bureau should be held responsible for this tragedy.”
The grand jurors believe that no single officer was at fault, but the entire police bureau. They said, however, that they could not indict or censure the police bureau.
Aaron Campbell, 25, of Portland, was shot and killed by police in what some are calling a “suicide by cop.”
However, according to Campbell’s mother, Marva Davis, Campbell was trying to surrender to police when they shot the distraught man in the back.
Campbell was unarmed.
An account at Wells Fargo Bank has been opened to help the Campbell family pay funeral expenses and create trust funds for the surviving children. To contribute, click here.
Read the entire grand jury letter here.
this is terrible…its time for citizens to take justice in their own hands..this cop should be killed..an eye for an eye and a life for life..no one is above Almighty Gods’ law..
Lee, I agree it’s terrible, and I agree that citizens need to demand justice. I don’t, however, think we have to respond to violence with more violence. Let’s hope that we can work together to make our city, and our society, a safer and better place for everyone, including those diagnosed with mental illness.
Jenny