Ties That Bind
How A Former Cop and Local NAACP President Supported Police Misconduct
Editor’s Note: With the support of the community, I published a report last year that highlighted the poor behavior of Steve Teeter, a veteran cop with the Corvallis Police Department. After taking a closer look, it became apparent that the story was more complex than it appeared on the surface, with many moving parts that influenced the final outcome. Through careful examination of public records and an interview with the current President of the Linn-Benton NAACP, I’ve attempted to unravel the details of why a victim was held at gunpoint on OSU’s campus by Officer Teeter in 2015 and left without support. Although the victim participated in mediation between the local NAACP and the Corvallis Police Department, allegedly aimed at making amends, the forthcoming article describes a reality where a victim of police misconduct didn’t receive the support they deserved from the beginning.
August 15, 2015, 10:41 a.m. - 10:55 a.m.
Detective Ryan Larson of the Corvallis Police Department was driving their personal car northbound on NW 23rd Street on the morning of August 18, 2015, when they spotted a Black cyclist traveling southbound. Larson, who was off-duty, claimed to notice that the cyclist had “definition” “in the left arm where the shoulder, bicep, and tricep muscles meet.” Larson claimed that these simple descriptions - the build of their left arm and the “type of pants and white tank top,” which appears to describe a standard gym outfit, held enough merit to identify the as someone that had a state-wide warrant out for their arrest. Larson cites a rumor that other officers repeat in their version of events given in the report; that the person they were looking for was “known to possess firearms.” The detective took matters into their own hands and alerted dispatch, triggering a response from Officer Steve Teeter, who was on patrol that morning. Larson continues their report by claiming that they witnessed the victim “commit multiple traffic violations that gave me probable cause to have him stopped.”
Officer Steve Teeter received a notice from CPD dispatch that Detective Larson was calling in a visual on a felony suspect with “caution indicators” and immediately headed in the direction of OSU’s campus. Teeter then states that Sergeant Benjamin Harvey “advised over the radio that the suspect was rumored to possess a handgun.” Teeter mentions in their report that they had never had contact with the person they were looking for. Teeter got a visual on the person that Detective Larson had called about and made the decision to drive up onto the sidewalk in their patrol SUV to cut off the path of travel of the victim. Teeter then reports that they already had their firearm out of the holster as soon as they exited the vehicle. The victim confirmed this in an interview stating “Before he asked what my name was he already had his gun drawn." According to Teeter’s report, the victim allegedly did not comply right away, which prompted Teeter to point their firearm directly at them. “At this point the suspect said he was not armed and he laid down flat on the sidewalk.” Officer Teeter handcuffed the victim and searched them.
Detective Larson, the off-duty employee who made the initial call to dispatch, continued to roam the area in their personal car long after they made the call. When Teeter announced over the radio that they had the suspect detained, Larson rushed to the scene just as Teeter was ordering the victim to the ground. At this point in their report, Detective Larson begins to admit that the victim didn’t actually look like the person they were looking for. “I thought their physique was similar, but upon closer observations, it was clear that [the victim] was slightly thinner in the shoulders and the speech was different.” Larson also mentions in their report that they made sure to take a moment, as the victim was getting off the ground and collecting their things, to lecture them on the rules of traffic. “I asked [the victim] if they understood that bikes are considered vehicles in Oregon and he needed to obey the same traffic laws.” “It was clear to me that [the victim] was upset at the situation as he seemed to talk in a raised tone of voice.”
Sergeant Benjamin Harvey was on patrol in the area, when they allegedly heard a call over the radio for an officer to be dispatched to a felony suspect with a warrant. Harvey, like most other involved officers, admits in their reports that they had never had contact with the suspect that they were looking for. Harvey advised officers that the suspect was known to carry a handgun, which they also state in their report to be a rumor. Before Harvey could respond to the scene, the former Sergeant was notified by Officer Teeter that the suspect had been located; when Harvey arrived, it was already obvious that they had the wrong person. “It was apparent the man was upset about being stopped by his remarks".”
The victim left the scene on their bicycle following the incident.
Mediation
The victim was contacted following their misidentification and being held at gunpoint and agreed to sit down with then-Chief Jon Sassaman and then-president of the Corvallis/Albany NAACP (now Linn-Benton NAACP), Barry Jerkins, for a mediation session. According to the victim, the mediation went surprisingly well, all things considered. What seemed to be a productive dialogue between the parties ended with the victim opting not to pursue a lawsuit against the Corvallis Police Department or Steve Teeter, although they verbally and openly maintained their discontent with the known community menace throughout the entire process. It appeared to be a clear case of mistaken identity with an official mediation and an apology from the local police, but one notable quote from Barry Jerkins to the victim cast a heavy shadow over the entire process. “Barry told me that if he was in Teeter’s situation, he would react the same way.”
Barry Jerkins was the Corvallis/Albany NAACP President from at least 2012 and throughout the mediation with the victim in 2015. Jerkins runs an independent consulting company that offers to facilitate decision-making for law enforcement and other governmental agencies. In 1984, Jerkins started a job as a federal police officer. That lasted until 1992, and since then they’ve worked with and received notoriety from law enforcement agencies. In 2018, Jerkins received a special award from the Corvallis Police Department and an appointment from former Governor Kate Brown to the Corrections Policy Committee of the Oregon Board on Public Safety Standards and Training, also noting their experience as a police academy instructor.
Given Jerkins’ background and the comment made to the victim, a sense of conflict begins to form, particularly in the context of representing a Black victim of police misconduct in an official mediation with the perpetrator, the local police department. Ultimately, the victim decided against pursuing legal action and quietly returned to their private life, without receiving any tangible compensation or justice.
Interview with Jason J. Dorsette, Current Linn-Benton NAACP President
When reaching out for comments for the previous article, the Linn-Benton NAACP declined to comment on the remarks or actions of former President Barry Jerkins. This time, however, a bit of extra dedication secured an interview on the issue with the current President of the Linn-Benton NAACP, Jason Dorsette. Dorsette moved to Corvallis from North Carolina after taking a job offer from Oregon State University and has now moved on to serve as the Executive Director & Chief Equity Officer at Linn-Benton Community College.
The following are some of the questions and answers from the interview in a Q&A format:
Q: What would you say is the role of the Linn-Benton NAACP in the community?
A: Our goals mirror that of the National NAACP, including a focus on housing insecurity and racism in housing, as well as creating economic opportunities for Black and Brown entrepreneurs who offer tailored services like haircuts and cultural food. We also mentor youth and look to create pathways for students through workshops and training.
Q: Last year the Linn-Benton NAACP marched on a Corvallis Fred Meyer location which was accused of racially profiling customers. Would you say that this type of “direct action” is how the branch intends to combat racism in the community?
A: Unfortunately, when I first arrived, the branch didn’t have a history of demonstrations. Barry was the only other Black member who was active when I went to my first meeting. I didn’t know if I had walked into an NAACP meeting or something else. The local NAACP knew about incidents of racism but they weren’t equipped to react to them, but I knew that I couldn’t ignore it; this was incomprehensible to me. Fred Meyer reached out privately to resolve the situation, but I rejected that because it’s not really what I’m about, we won’t engage in private negotiations when racism or injustice is involved. They did make improvements to certain aspects of their store and remain in contact with us, but there could be something more effective. Going forward, we won’t shy away from these types of issues anymore.
Q: Let’s talk about an incident of police misconduct that happened in Corvallis in 2015. A Black victim was held at gunpoint by Corvallis Police Department’s Officer Steve Teeter while riding their bicycle to the gym. They had the wrong person, and it was the second time that the victim had been detained in Corvallis on false identification. Are you familiar with this incident?
A: I was just moving to Oregon from North Carolina around the time of the incident but I wasn’t a very active member yet. I was still learning how to fit in here in Corvallis. I’m somewhat familiar with the incident though. One thing I did understand was that Steve Teeter was well-known as a bad cop - he isn’t for the people. He isn’t someone who seems humane or civil.
Q: Former President Barry Jerkins mediated a dialogue between the victim and CPD officials. According to the victim, Barry told them that if he were in Officer Teeter’s position, he would react the same way, implying that he would also point a gun at the victim if he were the officer in question. Given Jerkins’ history as a police officer, do you feel that there was a conflict of interest in them mediating a dispute between a victim of police misconduct and CPD?
A: When I learned what was said to the victim, I was taken aback and I was disappointed. I know that Barry comes from a different generation, from the South, and expectations were different. He’s been a great mentor to me. But I wish he wouldn’t have said that. He should have recused himself.
Q: What does the relationship between the Linn-Benton NAACP and the Corvallis Police Department look like today?
A: There isn’t really any relationship with the current Police Chief. The old Chief, Nick Hurley, used to call and speak with me and establish a relationship ahead of time. We worked together to an extent to maintain local peace. But there should be no mistake, we won’t put up with police brutality, and they should recognize that we mean business. Don’t come to us to establish a relationship after something’s already happened, the gloves are off at that point. We’re always paying attention, so if CPD wants to build a relationship, they shouldn’t wait until something happens to do it.
Dorsette seems adamant about shifting the culture of the Linn-Benton NAACP toward a more radical role as a community organization. However, a trail of bad optics highlights how the branch has struggled to play that role in the past. When Lawrence Taylor, a fully-uniformed CPD officer, showed up to an informal NAACP panel discussion on police misconduct, it expectedly added tension to the atmosphere. None of the NAACP leaders told the officer to leave. In response, Jerkins, Dorsette, and Terrance Harris, who just ended a tenure as the Director for the Lonnie B. Harris Black Cultural Center in 2022, all gave weak comments in a 2016 article from the Corvallis Gazette-Times.
Choosing to respond flatly and evasively, Harris said in response to the uniformed officer showing up to the panel, “We are a part of one race, the human race, but we also have to acknowledge our differences and appreciate our differences.” Jerkins and Dorsette also provided similar comments that declined to address the painfully obvious issue of a police officer showing up with weapons to a panel discussing police officers and their weapons. Dorsette appears to be taking a different tone and approach to police misconduct over 7 years later, but words without action have a track record of critically failing vulnerable community members. Regardless, Dorsette and the Linn-Benton NAACP vow to be unwavering in the struggle against police brutality and reclaim the purpose of their organization as a haven for disadvantaged community members.
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The sources used in this article are included under the fair use provisions of the U.S. Copyright Law, Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107. Each has been attributed to its original source and is used for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, or research.
