33-year-old Oscar Lee Burrell Jr., took videos of himself driving into Peninsula Park by way of a pedestrian path while at least one child was clearly present in the background. He proceeded to do “doughnuts” in a grassy area near pickleball courts, trees, and other Peninsula Park property. He then posted the video to social media.
Prior to entering the park, Burrell videoed himself driving on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. while alternately covering his face, sitting on his vehicle driver-side door window, and hanging out the window. The video then shows Burrell veering into oncoming traffic.
Two days later he filmed himself driving into Farragut Park while again hanging out of his vehicle. Burrell drove on a pedestrian path, through a playground, and through city streets while covering his face, laughing, and making various hand gestures while filming a selfie video that he posted.
One day later Burrell filmed himself driving on I-5 passing multiple vehicles while sitting on his vehicle driver side window, hanging out of that window, and steering with his knee – again, while filming another selfie video that he posted.
In spite of video evidence, Judge Katharine von Ter Stegge found Burrell guilty of only three out of 11 charges brought by the state. In the Peninsula Park incident Burrell was found not guilty of Recklessly Endangering Another Person, even though at least one child can be seen in the video.
In the Farragut Park incident, the judge found him not guilty of Reckless Driving.
The three charges on which Burrell was found guilty were all misdemeanors: Reckless Driving for the incident in Peninsula Park; and Reckless Driving and Recklessly Endangering Another Person for the incident on Interstate-5. The record shows no Drug Evaluation or Treatment was ordered.
At the hearing Judge von Ter Stegge said “I think you are intending to trespass, and you are intending to kind of do doughnuts. I don’t necessarily think you are intending to damage the property at Peninsula Park,” as reported by KGW TV.
After the decision, Multnomah County District Attorney Nathan Vasquez blasted the rulings.
“I strongly disagree with Judge Von Ter Stegge’s evaluation of the facts in this case.
The evidence in this case clearly showed that Mr. Burrell was engaged in wildly reckless behavior including driving a vehicle without using his hands while hanging out the driver side window on Interstate Five. Additionally, the fact that he was driving through Portland city parks and there is video of this, in which you can see at least one child in the park, and that somehow she was able to find him not guilty of charges associated with that is bewildering.”