Glad to see it. Too bad it is in Beaverton and not in Portland.

Based on the background investigation, we determined Officer Sery had been cleared three times of any wrongdoing. We spoke with many members of the community who spoke very highly of Officer Sery; both as a police officer and as an outstanding person." OK.
Hope he rides MAX.

He killed an unarmed man unjustifiably. His supposed decision to quit law enforcement was a relief. His return is troubling. He may be a nice guy, but he performed quite poorly as a police officer.

Welcome back, Pryzbylewski.

Chilling. Wonder how long it will take him to kill another unarmed citizen? This guy needs another line of work, one in which he does not have access to firearms and the discretion to use them on innocent people. I'm thinking "dogcatcher" might be more in line with his skills and abilities.

Does anybody know whatever happened to the Perez family's lawsuit against the City of Portland?

Y'all make James Jahar Perez sound like an innocent bystander.

Ironically, Mr. Perez died after trying to swallow two bags of cocaine, and then refusing to get out of the vehicle as instructed by Officers Sery and Macomber.

A virtual repeat of that deadly March 28, 2004 incident happened six years earlier (per the Oregonian) http://blog.oregonlive.com/washingtoncounty/2008/01/sery.html#12

On Feb. 7, 1998, then-Portland Officers Gina Hoesly and David Meyer pulled Perez over for not signaling a left turn onto North Winchell Street at 11:28 p.m. After he failed to show a driver's license, they ordered Perez to keep his hands on the steering wheel.

Hoesly grabbed Perez's left arm in what police call a "control hold" in an attempt to take him into custody. Once police got him in the back of a police car, they noticed him trying to conceal something in his pants that turned out to be cocaine. Perez ran from the police car, and the two officers caught up with him and fought with him until they got him in custody.

Both officers sustained injuries, but neither used a deadly weapon against Perez.

It's easy to bad mouth cops on a blog.

It's certainly easier than trying to arrest a drug dealer who's willing to fight a cop to avoid getting arrested.

Yeah, kill an unarmed guy in 24 seconds 'cause he looked at you funny. Then taze his dead body for a while. And if there's any drugs anywhere nearby, it can be the dead guy's fault.

In our society, the penalty for possession of cocaine and failure to obey officer instructions is not execution.

Officer Sery wasn't indicted by a grand jury. The Police Chief concluded that the use of deadly force fell within Portland Police Bureau policy.

The "drugs nearby" was cocaine in Mr. Perez's mouth and his bloodstream. Additional drugs were found in the car.

Mr. Perez made some poor decisions which led to a physical confrontation with Portland Police, not once, but twice.

He wasn't punished for being a slow learner, or a drug dealer, he was killed because the officer felt he was a threat.

It's naive to suggest that deadly force is inappropriate unless the perp is pointing a gun at the officer.

We don't train police officers (or compensate them adequately enough) to engage in hand-to-hand combat. They are taught to escalate the use of force and demand compliance. Mr. Perez would still be alive and dealing drugs today if he had followed the officer's instructions.

Crap. I thought this was going to be an article about Darius Miles' return to the Blazers.

" we can re-hire the good cops such as him."
Yup, shoot 'em all and let god sort 'em out.
Cops like this are called jack-booted thugs.

As soon as potterville s cleaned up of it's lefty liberal garbage we can re-hire the good cops such as him.

I am a proud liberal lefty citizen of this city and I sincerely hope your comment is a joke.

As a resident of unincorporated Washington County who spends a fair amount of time within the Beaverton city limits, I will keep my eyes open for evidence of Officer Sery's presence on the streets.

We don't train police officers (or compensate them adequately enough) to engage in hand-to-hand combat. They are taught to escalate the use of force and demand compliance.

The Portland Police Bureau does not train most of its officers well enough ... period. They are supposed to be taught to escalate the use of force on an incremental scale until the threat is removed. They are not trained to kill unarmed civilians, even if they are selling drugs.

If the officers followed the incremental increase in the use of force, why did Officer 2 use his Taser on Perez after Sery had already killed Perez with a bullet to the heart?

If you read Sery's explanation for the stop, you will know that this is a simple story of an all too common pretextual racial profile that ended tragically. Sery said he and his partner pulled Perez over because his car had nice wheels on it and looked too nice for the neighborhood.

A bit off-subject, but this makes me think of an incident I experienced recently.

I was in Paris over Christmas, and while walking down the sidewalk past a local police precinct, two officers who were very engrossed in a conversation and not paying much attention to the sidewalk pedestrian traffic strode out of the precinct door, straight in front of my path.

I stopped quickly so as not to cross their paths, very much aware that (1) I was standing very close to them (within an arms length), and (2) my hands were in my pockets (it was cold) where they couldn't see them. Still not noticing my presence, they crossed in front of me. When they finally noticed me, not just one, but both, turned and apologized to me for their lack of politeness.

This gave me pause to think over why I reacted the way I did. Why did this seem so strange to me?

I don't like the conclusion I come to.

Sery said he and his partner pulled Perez over because his car had nice wheels on it and looked too nice for the neighborhood.

Well, there you go. Your capital crime, right there.

It's kinda funny. I always see so much sympathy for the victims of police action, but don't see nearly the same amount of outrage when some citizen injures or kill a police officer.

Why anyone would want to be a member of the Portland Police Dept. is beyond me. Portland reminds me of the era in NYC when police were forced to employ "drive-by policing" to avoid being reprimanded. You know, when they saw a mugging or an assault in progress, they drove right on by.

Just curious, have any of you who criticize the police ever walked a mile in their shoes? Has anyone ever done a ride-along to see what their job is really like?

As someone who has, and as someone who had to assist an officer restrain someone, it is a big eye-opener. I don't know if Portland has a ride-along program, but if they do, I strongly suggest all citizens participate.

reply to "Pdx632"--"Just curious, have any of you
who criticize the police ever walked a mile in their
shoes? Has anyone ever done a ride-along to see
what their job is really like?"

What does that have to do with the matter at hand?

Nothing really, as the real issue at hand is what it is
WE THE PEOPLE want in our so-called "law enforcement"
and in their job's performance, as with the level and
type of "behavior" we are willing to tolerate.

It's not all this crap the cops and cop-apologist dish
out to us repeatedly with their excuses, etc. etc.

It is about recognition of just who the hell it is you
damned cops work for, and if you don't like our terms,
then get up off your over pampered fanny's and go find
another job, for your "career objectives" are the least of
our concerns.

If your behavior or that of one of your peers does not
suit us, then we shall scream as loud as we will and
you can be damned for all we care. Either conform to
our desired expectations or go find another job some-
where else.

It's called KISS...keep it simple stupid!

Little Birdie:

What you are advocating for is a phenomenon known as "depolicing", whereby cops simply do as little as possible especially if assertive policing may threaten their careers.

San Francisco, Oakland, and Washington D.C. are already there. Portland and Seattle aren't too far behind.

May you get the law enforcement you deserve.

Jason Sery should have stayed in his car, counted his pension, and had another donut instead of killing James Jahar Perez for no good reason.

the real problem is you libs want government to do everything for you includinng protecting your family. The reality is the only one that can do that is you.If someone is breaking into your home in the middle of the night and you have a phone and a .357 magnum on your nightstand which one do you reach for first? Only an insane liberal reaches for the phone and expects the government to protect their family

What does that have to do with a cop who killed an unarmed guy with no reasonable cause?

Little Birdie

If someone was breaking into your home, I hope you would not be a hypocrite and dial 911.

Don't forget, if you do choose the cell phone option, and some psycho murders your entire family with your steak knives before the police arrive, SCOTUS has ruled that they cannot be held responsible in any way, shape, or form.

Having said that, the PPB have a long and illustrious history of murdering people for no reason at all, on the flimsiest of pretexts. I grew up in Texas, and these cops scare the bejeezus out of me.

The rumor I heard is that when officers screw up in LA and get fired, they come here. Imagine that, we get the rejects from the LAPD.

Reply to "Pdx632": :Little Birdie: If someone was
breaking into your home, I hope you would not be
hypocritical and dial 911."

I most certainly would dial 911 and not feel in the
least bit hypocritical in doing such, for I'd expect
them to respond in the appropriate manner in the
context of the situation. I would NOT expect them
to come to my house and proceed to deliberately
MURDER someone as did this joke of a Wannabe Kop
(Jason Sery) did to the late Mr. Perez.

Sery's wanton killing of the late Mr. Perez was totally
outside the scope of the encounter, contrary to the
FACTS of the case, and unjust, as well, as criminally
negligent. All of the lies told since to justify him and
his despicable act are meant solely to escape the
rigors of accountability...both personally and institu-
tionally, and all told will NOT obviate the FACT that
this man does not belong in a uniform toting a gun
and proclaiming to be acting on our behalf. WE THE
PEOPLE don't want his damned a$$ on a police force
where our loved ones, our friends and ourselves are
at unreasonable risk of this man wrecking future violent
mayhem as he so clearly did to the late Mr. Perez.

I have loved ones living in Beaverton and for their sake,
I don't want them to have to add to their burdens in
life by having this known nutjob carrying a gun, wearing
a badge and saying he's a Beaverton cop. It is WHAT we
want that matters to us, and we could less as to what is
his career objectives or that of his pals.

If he must serve the public, as is implied by his so-called
"call to service", I say let him continue to bellow away in
the fundamentalist church he attends the hymn he is
reputed to sing so often..."Oh! How I Love Jesus!" and let
him sing it with real meaning...NOT BE A COP AGAIN, for he's
already been there, done that, got the T-shirt and it's time
for him to do something else...that suits WE THE PEOPLE
and our needs, not his or his pals! WE THE PEOPLE pay the
salary and by God we shall dictate the terms of employment
and those that don't like it can find employment elsewhere!

Portland's loss is Beaverton's gain. As an actual resident of Beaverton I am very happy they are able to recruit good, experienced officers such as Officer Sery. Officer Sery was CLEARED THREE times!

I can see why Beaverton and other surrounding agencies are winning the recruiting battle against Portland these days, no one in their right mind would want to work for PPB and get NO community support.

the cops in Beaverton are in for some surprises. more so than they usually get.
spoke with a relative of mine that lives in Beaverton and has a business that
caters to automobiles and he said the news of Sery becoming a Beaverton cop
is slowly making the rounds and for most part, the people are pissed for they
know that BPD's Chief Bishop is soon retiring and it baffles them why he'd let
this known goon have a job as he's going out the door for retirement. he says
not all cops are pleased that Sery is joining the force and they intend to watch
him closely and will blow the whistle if he f**k's up in any way. they'll bypass
the Beaverton official crowd and will tell all to the portland media. this is going
to be fun as they play the game of "let's dump on Sery" and then it'll be dump
on the politicians and bureaucrats...big time dumping too. oh! this is going to
be fun to watch. grab a bowl of popcorn and kick back and watch what is to be
next in this silly saga from the boondocks of Beaverton...?????????????????????

"Jason Sery should have stayed in his car, counted his pension, and had another donut instead of killing James Jahar Perez for no good reason."

Officer "Insert Name" sat in his car consuming a donut and reviewing his pension options while "insert criminal name and crime" did bad things....when asked for a comment as to why he/she did nothing officer "insert name" stated that it was better than running the risk of confronting an unknown situation and potentially incurring the wrath of the local citizenry and blogger community.

Excellent solution

No, actually, Mike, I wouldn't say that about most Portland police officers. But I will say it about Jason Sery, a trigger-happy boy from Billings, Montana who is in the wrong job. I'm sorry his career as a teacher in a Christian school also didn't work out.

Anybody getting pulled over in Beaverton will have to wonder if that's Prezbo fumbling with his gun as he's getting out of the patrol car. It might be wise to spend those few moments wondering if this whole War on Drugs thing is such a good idea.

To- "I have a relative in Beaverton who talks"

As someone who actually lives in Beaverton I can tell you that after talking with some of my neighbors today we all came to the same conclusion- Portland's loss is Beaverton's gain. I applaud Chief Bishop for hiring Officer Sery, who is a good, experienced officer.

Your talk about "going to the Portland media" when he goofs up is laughable.

Sounds like "Little Birdie" is all about me, me, me! Whaaa! She/He must think the whole world revolves around her/him and what she/he wants. Funny thing is the police do operate the way the community wants it for the most part. Thank God the crazy live in this town are just a vocal minority. The majority of people like the police and want them to be able to do their jobs. The rest just bitch.

I don't bitch too much about the police, but Sery should have been shown the door, just as the sweetheart who shot Squeaky Young was. Just because you're scared doesn't mean you have the right to kill unarmed people. It means you have the right to be a teacher in a Christian school in Montana.

oh! this is going to be fun to watch. grab a bowl of popcorn and kick back and watch what is to be next in this silly saga from the boondocks of Beaverton

Not my idea of fun. Beaverton is no longer a backwoods, white only, low-crime, sleepy suburb and bedroom community. It has a large employment base, a diverse population with significant minority representation, ease of transportation to the Portland core urban area, and many of the problems Portland experiences. We're not dropping this officer in among "his" people, and as we've seen in the past, this is a recipe for disaster.

The key takeaways for Beaverton crack dealers are:

If you get pulled over by Officer Sery,

1. Don't refuse to provide your license
2. Don't close your darkly tinted windows
3. Don't try to eat your stash
4. Don't refuse to exit the vehicle
5. Don't ignore multiple request to "show me your hands"
6. When the po-po shouts, "stop, or I'm going to shoot", you should follow his instructions exactly or you are going to be shot (possibly three times, or more).

What if he REALLY thought Perez was pulling a gun? (He was cleared THREE TIMES.) Hindsight is so 20/20. Just listen to all you self-appointed, self-important "experts" questioning a split second decision. I think you are more put off by the man, who he is, and his beliefs then what happened. Scared? Just talk to a police officer sometime. Of course they are scared. Good for Chief Bishop for not bowing to politically correct know-it-all mob pressure.

And if there's any drugs anywhere nearby, it can be the dead guy's fault.

Are you saying the cops planted it?

Sounds like Perez had a history of being a punk with a drug habit. We dont need more of them. Maybe Sery can clean out some more P.O.S. drug dealers/users in Beaverton.

Keep those pom-poms out for when Prezbo sees another driver fail to use a turn signal. With police who aren't good at their jobs, you never know when you might have another reason to celebrate.

6. When the po-po shouts, "stop, or I'm going to shoot", you should follow his instructions exactly or you are going to be shot (possibly three times, or more).

Yeah...maybe if the popo shoots someone in the back, we can finally convict him.

The wisdom of hiring a known itchy trigger finger will be borne out by the increase in liability premium they pay in the future. Course the Chief will apparently be retired?

Maybe the police should employ the policy of tasering anyone who fails to comply with even one lawful order. That way, the police wouldn't have to make split-second life and death decisions and the drug dealers wouldn't end up dead.

Oh, that right, y'all bitch about the police when they taser someone too.

Being home on Sick Leave, I been catching up on movies and have taken
a "news break" for a couple of days. Imagine my surprise to come here to
check your blog after having just watched AMERICAN PSYCHO and then to
learn that Sery is now a cop for the City of Beaverton. The chill went up
my spine and I shutter at how crazy this misstep on the part of Bishop is.
I observed Sery very closely when he was on the stand a few years back, and
though he appeared to be the epitome of "professionalism", to those that are
trained in recognition of psychosis, he came across as classic SOCIOPATH;
and now that he got away with that terrible deed, I fear he'll soon become
the BEAVERTON PSYCHO. I swear, things are getting crazier by the day,
aren't they? Too bad, as it doesn't have to be this way at all, and unless
the citizens of this area bring their cops under better control, it'll get worst!