PORTLAND, Ore. — An NAACP chapter president says police in Eugene, Oregon, used excessive force on his sister after she tried to stop an officer from deploying a Taser stun gun on her 19-year-old son.
Eric Richardson, president of the Eugene-Springfield NAACP chapter, said Ayisha Brown called a mental health service early July 16 because her son was having a psychotic breakdown. The assistance team could not respond, and police officers arrived.
Richardson, who said he witnessed the incident, said Brown hugged her agitated son to prevent an officer from using the stun gun.
An officer, who was white, threw Brown to the ground, put a knee in her back and arrested her, Richardson said. His sister, he said, suffered a concussion and has back and knee problems.
Richardson said he raised his hands and identified himself as the chapter president of the NAACP. He said the officers told him he was at risk of being tased.
“I asked everyone to calm down, and I don’t believe my efforts were respected,” he said.
Richardson said he has spoken with Police Chief Pete Kerns about the incident, and those talks have gone well. Richardson said his goals are to improve police training and transparency, while boosting resources for mental health.
