The family of Jason Washington, the man shot by Portland State University police officers, are calling on the university to disarm its officers.
Ericka Cruz Guevarra / OPB
The family of a man fatally shot by Portland State University campus police is demanding the university immediately disarm its campus officers.
Jason Erik Washington, who was black, was shot by PSU campus officers June 29. It's the first officer-involved shooting at Portland State.
Washington said no one at the university has been in contact with the family and that he still has more questions than answers.
The university issued a statement after the rally, saying that PSU offers its "deepest condolences to Jason Washington's family."
"We fully recognize the severity of what has occurred," PSU's statement said. "We understand there are a lot of unanswered questions right now, and it's very important to answer them. That's why it's important to have multiple comprehensive investigations."
Andre Washington would not say whether the family intends to file a lawsuit against the university.
Keyaira Smith, a witness who recorded cellphone video of the incident, told OPB that he was "trying to be a good Samaritan" by breaking up a fight in the moments before he was shot.
Video footage shows what appears to be a black object attached to Washington’s right side as he’s seen pulling one man off another. Two PSU police officers can also be seen.
“The gun slipped out of the holster when he had fallen, and I think he may have tried to retrieve it,” Smith said. “Then they said ‘gun.’”
That’s when police fired, she said.
Sgt. Brent Laizure, a spokesman for the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, confirmed that Washington had a valid concealed carry permit at the time of his death.
PSU's board of trustees cast a controversial vote in 2014 to employ sworn armed police officers on campus. University leaders said at the time that campus officers were not equipped to respond to safety needs on campus.
The decision drew backlash from students who worried it would make the university less safe. PSU's student union has since renewed calls to disarm campus officers.
"We are demanding that Portland State University disarm its officers immediately and retrain its officers to deal with conflict without the use of weapons," Washington said.