PORTLAND, Ore. — A man who was attacked by a Washington County jail deputy in 2018 has reached a $625,000 settlement agreement with the county.
Video of the incident was released earlier this month and met with overwhelming public shock and criticism.
The video shows the deputy, Rian Alden, attacking Albert Molina during a jail booking on March 30, 2018. The video does not include audio, but Alden can be seen pointing at Molina while the two exchange words. After that, Alden charges at Molina, slams him into a wall and takes him to the ground.
Molina suffered skull fractures and bleeding of the brain, his attorneys said. He spent 19 days in a hospital, including five days in intensive care, at a cost of about $130,000.
“Molina was savagely attacked, utterly without justification. And it was apparent to the deputies who witnessed this assault that his injuries were extremely serious. Deputy Alden should have been arrested on the spot,” Molina’s attorneys said.
The incident was investigated in 2018 by the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon State Police. No charges were filed.
On May 31, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office said it received an email alleging Alden had used racist language in an email from 2003. The sheriff’s office put Alden on administrative leave and opened a personnel investigation, and the Washington County District Attorney’s Office reopened the criminal case against Alden. He has since been indicted on one count of first-degree official misconduct, a misdemeanor, in connection with the attack. A grand jury is considering additional charges.
“This case proves police investigating excessive force by other officers virtually guarantees an unjust result. We call on the Oregon Legislature to establish an independent, statewide, citizen-led investigative unit to review serious injury and death cases,” said attorney Jason Kafoury.
Washington County Sheriff Pat Garrett said his office is reviewing its policies. In a statement earlier this month, he said “the video is difficult to watch.” Molina’s attorneys said the video was available to Garrett at the time of the attack, as well as investigators from the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office and Oregon State Police.
Editor's note: The video at the top of the story is from June 10.
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