PJ Media

I got to see the Metro police in action first hand about 10 years ago. I was on a flight from PDX to Las Vegas. An intoxicated woman started hitting a stewardess with a few solid rights. Fortunately, the Portland State wrestling team was on board and quickly subdued the woman in the rear of the aircraft. When we landed the Metro police came on board and made it impossible for the passengers in the last 5 or 6 rows to de-plane. The police obviously came aboard with some preconceived notion that the air rage incident involved a male. A gentleman caught in the back of the plane attempted to inform the police that the suspect was a female and they told him to shut up. The man continued to talk and I heard an office state “now I suppose that he will tell us that his taxes pay our salary.” The man said “they probably do.” The next thing I saw was the man being handcuffed and lead out the rear of the plane. I then informed the officer closest to me that they had just arrested the wrong person. I was immediately threatened with jail if I said another word.

When I got off of the plane, I waited for the Metro police to come out. When they did, I informed them they had arrested the wrong person and that they needed to write down my contact information so that the arrested man’s attorney could contact me as a witness in any potential prosecution. The police refused. I then went to the Metro police office in the airport and requested to speak to the supervisor on duty. I informed the supervisor that I had witnessed the police arrest the wrong individual. I also informed him that my name and contact information needed to be on the polcie report(s) so that the arrested individual’s attorney could contact me as a witness. The supervisor flatly refused to take my card or write down my contact information.