Police Department

400 Main Street

Cottage Grove, OR 97424
__________________________________________________________________________
Phone (541) 942-9145
Fax (541) 942-4310
www.cgpolice.org
For Immediate Release

Date: 12/21/2022

Contact: Jake Boone

On September 01, 2022 at about 2:15pm, the Cottage Grove Police Department received several calls
regarding an individual who was seen waving a sword in public.

Cottage Grove police officers made contact with Mr. Alexander Harrelson, who was subsequently
arrested. As a result of this incident the Cottage Grove Police Department received a complaint
regarding the force used during that arrest.

The Cottage Grove Police Department assigned an investigator to review/investigate the incident, in
response to the complaint and as a matter of policy.

The complaint alleged that Cottage Grove Police Officers used excessive and unreasonable force during
the arrest of Mr. Harrelson. The investigation was assigned to and completed by Interim Captain Ryan
Nelson. Interim Chief Jeff Groth has reviewed the investigation, and based on the facts of the
investigation, has made the following findings:

1. The investigation was complete and thorough.

2. Mr. Harrelson actively resisted attempts to place him into custody on September 01, 2022.
3. The force used on September 01, 2022 during the arrest of Mr. Harrelson was reasonable and
justified under department policy.
4. The officers are EXONERATED in this matter.

In addition, the Cottage Grove Police Department has been notified by the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) that their independent investigation has been completed. The FBI stated, “For an
incident such as this to be charged as a federal civil rights crime officers, acting in an official capacity,
have to willfully use unreasonable force. The evidence reviewed indicated this was not the case and
therefore CGPD officers did not violate federal criminal statutes.”
Police officers are routinely confronted with unique and dynamic situations that require unique and
dynamic assessments and split-second decisions. The Cottage Grove Police Department understands
the impact incidents like these have on the community, and takes seriously the trust the community
places in them. Because of this, the Cottage Grove Police Department uses every incident as an
opportunity to review our tactics, policies and training and will constantly strive to improve when
necessary and possible.

As a result of this review/investigation the Cottage Grove Police Department has identified areas where
improvements can and will be made, as follows:

 Body-worn cameras are a necessity and priority. During their regular meeting on December 12th, the
Cottage Grove City Council authorized a contract with Axon to provide body-worn cameras and that
program will be implemented as soon as possible. We hope to have the cameras deployed within a
few months.
 Our use of force training and tactics must constantly evolve and stay current with the latest available
methodology and training. We will immediately begin making improvements to the type and amount
of training we provide our officers. We have already begun sending officers to enhanced use of force
training and will continue to as scheduling permits.
 Our use of force review process must be current with industry standards and best practice, and
include thorough review process through the chain of command, up to and including the Police Chief.
On December 12th, the Cottage Grove Police Department implemented a Use of Force report and
directed that it be completed, in addition to an incident report, any time an officer uses force.

**END**