Politics & Government
Teressa Raiford Wrongful Arrest Suit Against Police Is Dismissed
Teressa Raiford, lead organizer at Don't Shoot Portland and candidate for mayor in 2020, saw her wrongful arrest suit against police tossed.
PORTLAND, OR – Teressa Raiford arrived at the Multnomah County Courthouse on Monday expecting to begin her civil trial against the Portland Police Bureau for wrongful arrest. Instead, a judge dismissed the suit.
Raiford had been seeking $500,000, claiming that police had singled her out for arrest in August, 2015 as she prepared to lead a protest against the death of Michael Brown, the Ferguson, MO. teen whose death sparked demonstrations across the country.
Judge Leslie Bottomly ruled that police did have probable cause to arrest her, removing the heart of her civil suit.
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Raiford had been acquitted at trial on a charge of disorderly conduct for allegedly disrupting traffic.
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The judge at the trial had ruled that police had not had probable cause to arrest her after he determined that a portion of testimony by a police officer had not been credible.
Raiford will appeal Bottomly's decision.
Photo via Raiford for Mayor 2020.
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