Daemon Bowman,

Daemon Bowman, the other man stopped by Sery on Lombard Street, had his own run-in with Sery.
On Sept. 9, 2003, Sery stopped Bowman for a "booming" car stereo after he drove into the parking lot of his apartment complex in North Portland and was walking toward his unit. According to Sery's report, Bowman could not produce a driver's license or identification.
Bowman, angry that police raced up to him for a minor offense, said he walked back to his car to get his identification. While he was seated in the car, unable to provide a driver's license, Bowman said, police yanked him out.

"Sery Maced me and the other officer grabbed me, and they threw me on the side of the car. One guy took me to the ground with his knee on my back, and Sery had his baton out striking me," Bowman said.
Bowman was charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and fourth-degree assault. A judge sentenced him to 15 months' probation for resisting arrest. The other two charges were dismissed. His mother filed a complaint with the Internal Affairs Division on Sept. 11, 2003, submitting photos of her son's bruised arm, hip and buttocks from the baton blows.
In a Nov. 13, 2003, letter, internal affairs Capt. Darrel Schenck declined the complaint, the only one in Sery's file, Schenck said.
The Police Bureau said Sery's use of force was warranted because Bowman became violent and abusive toward officers.
Bowman's mother, Toni Allen, disagreed with the finding.
"I understand he had no driver's license, but that doesn't give them the right to beat the hell out of him," Allen said. "Just because you have a badge doesn't give you the right to do what you want to do."
Bowman, 30, acknowledged that he had been involved in a gang in Los Angeles as a teenager and has prior criminal convictions. But he and Sanders denied being active in a gang in Portland.
Man recalls confrontation
Darren Luethe, 38, said he also had a heated encounter with Sery. There was no detailed police report on the incident, which could not be independently confirmed.
Luethe said he stepped out of his house on North Fox Street about 11 p.m. Jan. 16, 2003, to lock up his van when he heard an officer screaming, 'Get out of the car!"
According to Luethe, Sery walked up to his van, asked for his identification and told him he failed to use a turn signal. Luethe said that couldn't be, explaining "I'd been home all day."
Luethe said the officer asked for his driver's license, but prevented him from entering his house to obtain identification and told him he was under arrest.
Luethe said Sery grabbed him by the arm and handcuffed him. He was cited for driving uninsured, driving while suspended and having a broken taillight, even though Luethe said he was not allowed to get the keys to his van to start it up.
Luethe said he asked for Sery's supervisor to respond because he was so irate about how Sery was treating him.
"I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life," Luethe said. "It was like he was just begging for a fight."
Luethe went to court July 11, relayed his side of the story to a judge and was found guilty of driving uninsured.
Police Union President Robert King said he could not comment on the allegations raised because he was not familiar with them. Sgt. Cheryl Robinson, Portland police spokeswoman, said only that Sery's police record of one complaint speaks for itself.
Sery, who remains off duty on paid administrative leave while police investigate Sunday's shooting, started his career with the Billings Police Department in Montana after attending Montana State University and interning one summer with the Billings police force.
Court records show Sery got a "borderline do hire" recommendation on his psychological test and worked for the 125-member Billings department from November 1996 to mid-January 1999, when he was hired by Portland police.
"There was nothing in his record, nothing in his job performance that would indicate a hothead at all," retired Billings Lt. Larry Reinlasoder said.

---

From The Oregonian of Thursday, April 1, 2004 -- Portlanders recall clashing with officer who shot man: Some residents claim Jason Sery became violent after stopping them for minor offenses, but others call him a good cop
By Maxine Bernstein
Toni Allen and her 30-year-old son, Daemon Bowman, rushed to the makeshift memorial site where James Jahar Perez was fatally shot by police as soon as she heard Portland police identify Jason Sery as the officer who fired the shots.
"All the hair on my arms stood up when I heard his name," Allen recalled this week. "I needed to go up there."
Bowman and at least two other Portland residents recently recounted run-ins with Sery in the past year in which they were stopped for a minor infraction that quickly turned into a heated confrontation or physical struggle and ended with arrest for disorderly conduct or resisting arrest.
They allege that Sery, a weightlifter whom they often saw wearing the short sleeves of his police uniform rolled up above his biceps, started the confrontations.
Yet the Portland Police Bureau, an immediate supervisor and St. Johns community representatives portray a much different picture of Sery, who remains off duty on paid administrative leave while police investigate his shooting Sunday of Perez, an unarmed motorist.
Police say Sery, a 29-year-old North Precinct senior neighborhood officer, has had one complaint filed against him with the Internal Affairs Division in his five years with the department that was not sustained, and community members say he's been responsive to their concerns about area drug houses and is a conscientious officer.
Bowman's encounter with Sery occurred about 9 p.m. Sept. 9, 2003, when the police officer stopped Bowman for a "booming" car stereo after he drove into the parking lot of his apartment complex in North Portland. What began as a minor noise infraction quickly elevated to a physical struggle between Sery and Bowman after Bowman could not produce a driver's license or identification.
Sery pepper-sprayed Bowman to remove him from the car, and with a fellow officer, took him to the ground and struck him repeatedly with his baton, according to police reports and interviews.
"I understand he had no driver's license, but that doesn't give them the right to beat the hell out of him," Allen said, referring to her son. "Just because you have a badge doesn't give you the right to do what you want to do."
Two other Portland residents recounted similar hostile encounters after being stopped by Sery in the past year.
Police Union President Robert King said he could not comment on the allegations raised because he was not familiar with them. Sgt. Cheryl Robinson, Portland police spokeswoman, said only that Sery's police record of one complaint speaks for itself.
Other community members who know him praised his police work.
"Jason is a fantastic officer. He attends our association meetings and is an asset to our community. He's very conscientious and works closely with the neighbors," said Pamela Plance, who is involved in the St. Johns Neighborhood Association.
Sery started his career with the Billings Police Department in Montana after attending Montana State University and interning one summer with the Billings police force. Court records show Sery got a "borderline do hire' recommendation on his psychological test and worked for the 125-member Billings department from November 1996 to mid-January 1999, when he was hired by Portland police.
"There was nothing in his record, nothing in his job performance that would indicate a hothead at all," retired Billings Lt. Larry Reinlasoder said.
Several who have been arrested or stopped by Sery portrayed a much different view.
In Bowman's case, he was handcuffed, arrested and accused of resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and fourth-degree assault. A judge sentenced him to 15 months' probation for resisting arrest, and the other two charges were dismissed. His mother then filed a complaint with the Internal Affairs Division on Sept. 11, 2003, submitting photos of her son's bruised arm, hip and buttocks from the baton blows.
Bowman said he was already out of his car, walking to his apartment carrying bags of food when Sery and other officers pulled up to him. They told him they heard his stereo blasting. Sery asked for his driver's license or ID. Bowman, angry that police raced up to him for a minor offense, said he walked back to his car to get his identification. While he was seated in the car, unable to provide a driver's license, Bowman said, police yanked him out.
"Sery Maced me and the other officer grabbed me, and they threw me on the side of the car. One guy took me to the ground with his knee on my back, and Sery had his baton out striking me," Bowman said.
The Police Bureau said Sery's use of force was warranted because Bowman was the one who became violent and abusive toward officers, according to police reports. In a Nov. 13, 2003, letter, internal affairs Capt. Darrel Schenck declined the complaint, the only one in Sery's file, Schenck said.
"The system did squat for us," Allen said. "This needs to be known."
Another city resident, Darren Luethe, 38, said he had stepped out of his house on North Fox Street about 11 p.m. Jan. 16, 2003, to lock up his van when he heard an officer screaming, "Get out of the car!" According to Luethe, Sery walked up to his van, asked for his identification and told him he failed to use a turn signal. Luethe said that couldn't be, explaining, "I'd been home all day."
Luethe said the officer asked for his driver's license, but prevented him from entering his house to obtain identification, and told him he was under arrest. According to Luethe, Sery grabbed him by the arm and handcuffed him. He was cited for driving uninsured, failure to show a driver's license and having a broken taillight, even though Luethe said he was not allowed to get the keys to his van to start it up.
Luethe said he asked for Sery's supervisor to respond because he was so irate about how Sery was treating him.
"I don't think I've ever been so scared in my life," Luethe said. "It was like he was just begging for a fight. I was so mad. The officer is belligerent. He's totally an instigator."
Luethe went to court July 11, 2003, relayed his side of the story to a judge and was found guilty of driving while uninsured.
North Portland resident Domenicke Sanders, 23, a neighbor who had witnessed Bowman's arrest by Sery last year, said he was walking across North Lombard Street about 7 p.m. March 7 when Sery and a couple of other officers jumped out of a white, unmarked car and ordered him to get his hands out of his pocket and interlock them behind their head.
"There were just one guy who pointed his gun and that was Jason Sery," Sanders said. Sanders said he complied, and Sery handcuffed him and placed him in the back of his car. He was cited for disorderly conduct, a case that is pending.
According to Sery's police report, Sery and two other officers were doing surveillance on the North Lombard apartments where Sanders and Bowman live, noting the complex is home to several gang members. Sery said he and the officers saw a man walk into the street and stand for several seconds, then walk back to the apartment complex and return to the street with Bowman, whom Sery recognized.
The police car rolled up to the men, and Sery shined a spotlight on them. Sery got out of the car and ordered both to remove their hands from their pockets. In the report, Sery said he drew his gun and ordered the two men to show their hands because he knew them as gang members and remembered the struggle he had with Bowman on his prior arrest.
Bowman, who said he had been involved in a gang in Los Angeles as a teenager, and Sanders both denied being active in a gang.
According to Sery's report, Sery did handcuff Sanders, place him in the police car and cited him for disorderly conduct "for standing in the middle of a busy street."
"I was walking across the street and I got a gun pulled on me and a ticket for disorderly conduct," Sanders said. "That's nuts."
 From:http://blog.oregonlive.com/washingtoncounty/2008/01/sery.html