Portland cop harassed for speaking out against problems in department.

Original Story

Portland, OR – Officer Thomas Brennan was worried that his sergeant was under too much stress while working the streets after his involvement in the police custody death of James P. Chasse Jr. The mentally ill man died in 2006 after his ribs were broken during an arrest. A federal lawsuit is still pending. Brennan met with his precinct commander last fall, provided details of a call in which he thought the sergeant “grossly overreacted” and recommended the sergeant be moved to a lower-profile assignment. Five days later, Brennan, 41, became the first rank-and-file officer who has been assigned to work at the property evidence warehouse. He also is facing a police internal investigation.

Brennan says his latest transfer is part of a pattern of retaliation and harassment since he informally told a city staffer in June 2006, and filed a formal complaint in December 2006, accusing his traffic sergeant of groping Brennan’s wife at a co-worker’s birthday party while off-duty.

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