At the city of Monmouth’s quarterly town hall Jan. 29 where guest speakers gave their general perspectives in civics, it was a full 45 minutes before an audience member asked a direct question related to the unrest in Minnesota.
The city hosted the town hall in the wake of several officer-involved shootings in and around Minneapolis that also featured organized protests that exacerbated the situation. The evening’s lineup of guest speakers included state Rep. Paul Evans, Monmouth city attorney Justin Thorp, Police Chief Isaiah Haines and Polk County District Attorney Aaron Felton. After their prepared remarks, in an audience of more than 30 in attendance, one asked the panel would the city say as a group that if somebody or something is impeding a police officer, that is a violation?
Haines asked him to clarify “impeding a police officer.”
The audience member got straight to his point.
“We’re dancing around Minneapolis right now, this whole place is,” he said. “I feel that there are people impeding officers’ jobs that are legally doing things and they’re (protestors) impeding them and the local police are not doing anything about it. What is the city’s position in the same, exact thing? Are you going to support other sworn officers, whether they’re state, county, or (federal)?”
Haines said there was a lot to unpack in his question.
“There are Oregon statutes that talk about interfering with a police officer. If they’re doing a lawful investigation, the interfering statute is state law,” Haines began. “What I think you’re talking about is immigration enforcement…”
The questioner interrupted by clarifying no, he was actually talking about selective enforcement of laws and whether there are some that the chief can choose to ignore.
“Be it tactics or discretion, it really depends upon the situation,” Haines replied. “When it comes to things, such as the statute I said on interfering, … if an officer is making an arrest and someone is physically interfering, they are likely to get arrested as well.
“When comparing Minneapolis, when it comes to state agencies versus federal agencies, What I would tell you about that specifically … Oregon is a sanctuary state. There are prohibitions that local law enforcement have from assisting with immigration enforcement,” he added.
Thorp agreed that there was a lot to unpack with the question.
“A general issue with all law enforcement, is there’s also tactics and procedures in ways you’re going to enforce (the law). Are you going to arrest somebody right now or are you going to wait until things are cooled down? That’s not a lawyer question, that’s a law enforcement professional question; those are things within their training,” Thorp explained.
He added that when an incident involves different agencies, that can get complicated.
“We’re not going to go around and violate federal law. But at the same time, the federal government doesn’t get to come and commandeer state and local governments either,” Thorp said. “Depending upon the issue, there may be different types and levels of cooperation.”
The next questioner said she supports law enforcement, be it from her small town all the way up to the federal level. She worried for the safety of federal officers while executing their duties.
“It pains me that I live in a town where some of the federal law enforcement people I know personally and have served with, were to come here on an operation, supporting federal laws that our U.S. Congress has passed, and if they were in trouble, correct me if I’m wrong, they cannot call on you to help them?” she asked, before adding, “That’s what we see happening in Minneapolis and seeing by the crowd we have here tonight, is that what we can expect here in little ol’ Monmouth?”
Haines was succinct.
“Yes. We are always going to respond, whether there is a loss of life or a safety issue, be it an officer or a citizen,” he said. He added that while his police officers cannot help in an ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) operation, they can help ensure the scene is safe.
Evans, who is co-chair for public safety in the Oregon legislature, jumped in, saying in the state’s perspective, “ICE has their operations. They do what they do. If they are in danger, there is an expectation local police will respond. It was talked about that a law enforcement brother will not back another. That’s not going to happen,” he said.
Another question from the audience posed a what-if scenario from the opposite side of the equation – “Would police respond if a resident called 911 describing someone breaking into their home and they feared for their life?”
Haines correctly assumed that would be from the perspective at the other end of an ICE operation.
“Yes, police would respond, but with the knowledge of an ICE operation in the area affecting getting involved,” he said. “(However), there are a lot of what if’s and variables I can’t speak to.”
Felton clarified this is an unfortunate situation county law enforcement face regularly locally.
“What she’s describing happens all the time, not just with ICE,” Felton said, pointing specifically to domestic disturbance calls, or traffic stops in the middle of the night. “In that dark car, you have no idea what you’ve just pulled over. (Deputies) make split second decisions to ascertain what’s going on. They use discretion, their training, and hope to God they make the right decision.
“To your question, they’re watching the feed, deciding ‘do we go or not go.’ They’re making discrete decisions based on all these balanced things,” Felton said.
He added that he, too, has seen what has been happening in Minnesota, and what they’re used to from his office appears to be turned on its head.
“It’s disturbing. It’s turning it on its head in a lot of ways,” Felton said.
Examining the way officials are investigating the officer involved shooting there, “it makes me troubled. That’s a nice way of putting it for all parties involved.”
Felton said he has conversations with the state’s U.S. attorney wanting to coordinate so we know and expect in these scenarios.
“We don’t want a Monmouth police officer calling me up at 3 a.m. and from the DA’s perspective not have the answer for them,” he said.
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