Gresham finds officers justified in repeatedly using Taser on a homeless man back in March
By: The City of Gresham says officers did not violate policy or the law by repeatedly using a stun gun on a 59-year-old homeless man.
The city completed its use of force review, saying the use of force by the police department was justified.
Video of the encounter at Cheap Charlie's originally sparked outrage from some who live and work nearby.
The city said it will offer training and coaching to the officers involved, as well as to Gresham's homeless services team, in "alignment with the ... goal of continuous improvement and learning."
“It is important that we learn from this situation and continue to improve our services as well as build trust with our community,” said City Manager Nina Vetter.
Ronnie Amato was seen on video rushing into a store in downtown Gresham on March 9.
An outreach worker said Amato had become aggressive and assaulted him, which is why police were called. Police approached Amato in the store. In surveillance video, he can be seen shoving shopping carts at officers.
They used a Taser on Amato several times. He went to the hospital.
A family member told KATU that Amato has suffered from paranoid schizophrenia for decades.