Since nobody in the city is willing to talk on record about how our rent-a-cops (the ones who dress like cops, carry guns, and have the power to issue park exclusions) are trained, overseen or disciplined, I’ve had to go digging in court records to find out more about them.
RENT-A-COP GOODFELLOW: BOO HOO!

Last week’s news section featured this story about a rent-a-cop’s impolite behavior at a protest, drawing a citizen’s complaint. He allegedly said a group of protesters outside a Portland Business Alliance-sponsored event on the US’s free trade agreements with Korea “should be shot.”

As mentioned in the story, the PPI officer involved, Philip Goodfellow, was named in two lawsuits against the city of Portland during the 1980s when he was a Portland Police Bureau officer. Both were dismissed. One case, brought by a Ronald W.Fletcher, who was residing at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem at the time, was dismissed on October 21 1987 because Fletcher, acting as his own attorney and hand-writing his complaint, had failed to submit a pretrial order by the trial deadline. Fletcher, who had been chased by East Precinct officers in a high-speed pursuit resulting in his arrest, alleged the following:

19.Plaintiff stopped vehicle at SE.50th and SE.Stark and defendants Larson, Larkin and Goodfellow drug plaintiff from the vehicle’s driver’s window by his hair and his shirt.

20.Defendants Larson, Larkin and Goodfellow physically beat plaintiff with fists, feet, riot stick, and a flashlight and additionally throwing plaintiff up against two police vehicles.

21.Defendents Larson, Larkin and Goodfellow held plaintiff on the ground face down while stepping on plaintiff’s head with their shoes, while threatening further physical assault.

As I say, the suit was dismissed. But the prisoner’s allegations against Goodfellow make pretty shocking reading, regardless. PPI did not return the Mercury’s requests for comment last week on the complaint against Goodfellow.