Mother testifies in civil rights trial

Jace Radke

Thursday, Dec. 12, 2002 | 9:41 a.m.

During the third day of a $25 million civil rights trial, the mother of a man shot and killed by a Metro Police officer publicly remembered her son, and a police procedures expert testified that the officer didn't have to shoot her son.

Connie Perrin ended the testimony in U.S. District Court Wednesday as she talked about how she and her son, John Perrin, used to take walks and go to the park.

"There was never a period of time that we didn't communicate with each other," Perrin said. "John had an infectious smile that would light up his face and make his eyes sparkle.

"One of the things I miss the most is a, 'Hi mama,' and a smile."

While Connie Perrin provided the jury with emotional testimony, an expert witness provided cold analysis of what he said was unnecessary force used by Metro Officer Bruce Gentner when he shot Perrin near Rainbow Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue on the night of April 12, 1999.

Donald VanBlaricom, who retired as Chief of Police in Bellvue, Wash., in 1985 and is now a consultant on officer misconduct trials, said that he was skeptical of Gentner's story that he thought a shiny black jar in Perrin's hand was a gun.

"He was too quick to shoot without an objective reason to do so," VanBlaricom said. "I don't see how you can mistake a bottle for a gun. I really don't."

Gentner has testified that Perrin, 32, did not obey commands to move to the front of Gentner's patrol car, or to show his hands, after he was stopped for jaywalking and an alleged drug transaction. Gentner said Perrin turned toward him and began pulling something from his waistband.

Gentner said he thought the object was a gun. Perrin didn't have a gun, but police say he was carrying a small jar containing iodine crystals, a chemical used to manufacture methamphetamine.

Gentner said he fired a volley of shots at Perrin, but stopped when Perrin turned his back to him for a matter of seconds. Gentner said he continued to scream, "show me your hands," but then Perrin spun back around and again appeared to be pulling something from his waistband, sparking a second volley of shots.

A total of 14 shots were fired, with six bullets striking Perrin.

VanBlaricom testified that if Gentner had the time to continually shout, "show me your hands," then he would have had the time to add, "or I'll shoot."

VanBlaricom questioned why Gentner didn't call for backup, even though Gentner testified that Perrin had allegedly just completed a drug deal and matched the basic description of a suspect in a series of burglaries in the area.

Under direct examination by Connie Perrin's attorney John Burris, VanBlaricom said that John Perrin's alleged noncompliance with Gentner's orders is not enough to reach the reasonable standard needed to fire.

"Officers deal with noncompliance all the time; that's why we have cops," VanBlaricom said. "People don't do what they're told to do, but we don't get to shoot them for that.

"If we did there would be an awful lot of dead bodies."

Under cross-examination by Metro attorney Walter Cannon, VanBlaricom said that the tactics an officer uses, such as calling or not calling for backup, is not a constitutional issue.

VanBlaricom also said that he hadn't worked on the street as a police officer since 1969, and that in 70 percent of the cases he testifies in, he is retained by the plaintiffs.

VanBlaricom also testified that officers are taught to fire as many shots as needed to make a threat go away.

The trial is scheduled to continue Monday before U.S. District Judge Roger Hunt, who is out of town today and Friday.