An EPD BearCat moves southbound on Patterson Street
The Civil Liberties Defense Center filed an amended federal lawsuit on Feb. 22 with names of police officers involved during the May 31, 2020, George Floyd protests. The five plaintiffs and the CLDC initially filed a federal lawsuit in July 2020 that alleges Eugene police officers violated their First, Fourth and 14th Amendment rights. The city has settled two lawsuits related to policing from May 31.
The filing, made after a months-long legal discovery process, reveals that one of the Eugene police officers involved with the May 31 evening alleged police brutality has been a defendant in other police misconduct cases and lawsuits.
. Can you talk a little bit about taking part in that collection?
Steve Rasnic Tem: I was beginning this process during the first few months of the pandemic, and the idea of “starvation” took on a particular significance. Many people are now starved for human contact, unable to engage in the social activities which in many cases kept them balanced. Some people have hoarded food and other supplies, afraid they might not have enough. Another effect of the times is a growing distrust of other people. Some folks have started viewing their neighbors as a threat.
All these threads went into the creation of my Wendigo tale. Its title is “An Gorta Mór,” a reference to the historic Irish famine.