Press Release: Confederation of Clubs of Washington State

Press Release: Confederation of Clubs of Washington State

Re: Controversy surrounding motorcycle profiling bill signing on April 13, 2011.

In the days following Governor Gregoire signing ESB 5242, a bill addressing motorcycle

profiling, there has been controversy surrounding the fact that the Governor took a picture of the

signing with a ʻcop killerʼ. The Confederation of Clubs serves as the official voice of motorcycle

club members present at the bill signing and would like to address this controversy.

Describing Robert Christopher as a ʻcop killerʼ instead of a victim of the most notorious law

enforcement scandal in the history of Portland is biased and unjust. On the night of December

12, 1979, members of the Portland police department and narcotics squad illegally raided the

Outsiders Motorcycle Club clubhouse in Portland and officer David Crowther was shot and killed

by Robert Christopher. Officers were knowingly attempting to serve an illegal warrant obtained

through perjured statements about a nonexistent informant. Narcotics officers Scott Deppe and

Neil Gearhart, both present during the raid, corroborated this indisputable fact and furthermore

revealed that the narcotics squad officers had come with drugs ready to plant in and around the

clubhouse. In fact, it was discovered that police had planted amphetamine tablets during the

raid. Narcotics officers also admitted that drugs were removed from David Crowtherʼs pockets

at the hospital after he was shot.

These are the incontrovertible facts. The entire basis for law enforcementʼs presence at the

Outsiders clubhouse that night was to serve an illegal warrant and plant drugs. Robert

Christopher was released after serving 14 months in prison because the egregious conduct of

the narcotics squad was uncovered. Robert Christopher maintains that the police did not

announce themselves and that his only choice to avoid being killed was to defend himself. It

was later proven that police witnesses had lied at trial when they testified that they had knocked

and announced themselves. Although his death was a tragedy, David Crowther and the officers

on the narcotics squad were corrupt and 58 tainted convictions were overturned before the

scandal was over. Robert Christopher was defending his home and his life against an illegal

intrusion and criminal conspiracy perpetrated by Portland narcotics officers.

Robert Christopherʼs presence at the bill signing on April 13th was understandable and

appropriate. As a victim of police abuse and discrimination, Robert Christopher has put his

energy into fighting for the rights and freedoms of motorcyclists because he understands

firsthand the impact of law enforcement discrimination and abuse. Washingtonʼs law

condemning motorcycle profiling is the first of its kind in America. Robert Christopher was

vindicated and is now a free and voting citizen and had as much business as anybody in the

Governorʼs office on April 13, 2011.

David Devereaux

Spokesman, Confederation of Clubs

doubledomc@gmail.com

(All claims made in this statement are based on publicly available and previously published

material readily available. For example, The Oregonian, April 21, 1981, “Retrial of Christopher

for killing appears doubtful.” The Times-News, May 29, 1981, p.5, “Narcotics trade triggers

police misconduct.”)