e n d o f t h e u n i v e r s e .

On September 17, 2006, James Chasse, a shy and gentle man with schizophrenia, was tackled by three police officers in front of dozens of eyewitnesses on a downtown street corner in Portland, Oregon.

He was not suspected of a crime, nor had he committed one.

Eyewitnesses report the officers used “knees to the chest, punches to the face” and a Taser to subdue Chasse. He was handcuffed and lost consciousness for several moments. Eyewitnesses feared he was dead.

Paramedics arrived to the scene, but police neglected to share the extent of their violent struggle with Chasse, or his loss of consciousness. Chasse was then hogtied and - in the words of eyewitnesses - carried away “like and shot deer,” loaded into the back of a police car and taken to the police station, not a nearby hospital.

Jail nurses refused to admit Chasse due to the extent of his injuries, and demanded he be taken to a hospital. Rather than going to one of three emergency rooms within two miles, the officers who beat him started to drive Chasse to an emergency room six miles away.

En route, officers noticed Chasse had slumped over in the backseat. They pulled over and attempted CPR, but it was too late. Ninety minutes after the police tackled him, James Chasse died.

The autopsy reports Chasse had suffered 17 broken ribs, a separated shoulder, a punctured lung, and numerous bruises and contusions. At the scene of the struggle, police told on-lookers that Chasse was homeless and had 14 felony convictions for selling cocaine. Not true: Chasse had no criminal record, and lived in an apartment just a few blocks away.

THE FILM 
Alien Boy: the Death and Life of James Chasse is a feature-length documentary film that:

* Examines the events of Sept. 17, 2006; 
* Explores the impact and meaning of James Chasse’s death; 
* Asks questions about how we as a society treat those with mental illness.

The film takes a deep look at Chasse’s life, uncovering his suburban childhood, participation in Portland’s early punk rock scene, the teenage onset of his schizophrenia, the peeling away of friendships and opportunities as his illness progressed into his adulthood, and his ability to carve out an independent existence despite his mental illness.

this film needs help through charitable contributions to wrap up production. i personally support the efforts to make alien boy because not only is there still inadequate awareness/advocacy of mental health causes, but there’s also little knowledge of portland police brutality outside of the city. i think it’s important to bring light to both of these subjects; all profits from the film are to go to the mental health association of portland. go to their kickstarter to watch the trailer and donate. bonus points for supporting this film if you’re a portland punk fan!