The police officer who shot and killed Aaron Campbell with an assault rifle during a standoff in late January has been placed on unpaid leave, police officials confirmed this afternoon.
But Portland Police Bureau spokeswoman Lt. Kelli Sheffer wouldn't say whether Chief Mike Reese's decision to suspend Officer Ron Frashour last week was related to Campbell's death.
Sheffer did say, however, that the bureau's internal review of the case is ongoing and that Reese has received a report by the bureau's Use of Force Review Board. Frashour fired the shot that killed Campbell, although and he and three other officers involved in the incident were never charged criminally in Campbell's death.
- Jon Sperry
Sheffer also said there's no timetable for Reese to make a final decision on the fate of the four officers—Frashour along with Officer Ryan Lewton and Sgts. John Birkinbine and Liani Reyna. But while Sheffer declined to detail the board's recommendations, to "protect the integrity of the process," a Willamette Week report citing unnamed sources said the board recommended Frashour be fired. That story also said the board recommended 80 hours of unpaid leave for Lewton, 40 hours for Reyna, who was in charge of the scene initially, and 20 hours for Birkinbine.
Police arrived at Campbell’s house on the afternoon of January 29 after his girlfriend’s aunt called 911, alarmed that she was unable to reach her niece and telling police that Campbell was suicidal and had a gun. A hostage negotiator, Officer James Quackenbush, reached Campbell on his cell phone and talked with him about the pain he over the recent death of his brother. Campbell, complying with the negotiator, came out of the house walking backwards with his hands over his head when Officer Lewton shot him six times in the back with a beanbag gun. As Campbell reached down toward his lower back, Officer Frashour opened fire with his AR-15 rifle.
More on the review process and thoughts from Portland Cop Watch's Dan Handelman below the cut.