Lawsuit: Gresham police pursued the wrong man and caused a fatal accident

PORTLAND, Ore. – A federal lawsuit alleges Gresham police pursued the wrong vehicle during an armed robbery investigation, resulting in the death of an innocent bystander.

Jennifer Parise, 40, died on June 25, 2023 after a driver attempting to elude Gresham police collided with her car. Parise's wife, Lauran Parise, who was also in the vehicle, filed the lawsuit in federal court on Wednesday.

The lawsuit seeks $17 million from the city of Gresham and the officer involved in the pursuit, Jonathan Buck.

“I want to send a very clear signal that this is unacceptable,” Lauran Parise said in an interview with KGW. “I don’t want anyone to have to go through what I went through.”

The lawsuit alleges that on June 23, 2023, Gresham police shared a bulletin with officers describing an armed robbery suspect's vehicle. Officers were told to look for a “silver 2000-2005 Buick LeSabre” with no license plate and eight-spoke wheels, the lawsuit says.

Two days later, the lawsuit says Officer Buck spotted a silver 2004 Buick Regal Limited with six-spoke wheels near Northeast 181 Avenue. The Gresham officer radioed that he would attempt to stop the sedan, which was believed to be connected to several armed robberies.

When Buck turned on the lights and siren, the driver of the Buick was driving through northeast Glisan at over 100 miles per hour. The high-speed pursuit lasted 34 blocks from Gresham to Portland, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges that Buck failed to turn on his body-worn camera per department policy.

At the intersection of Northeast Glisan and 148th Avenue, Jennifer Parise and her spouse were stopped in traffic on their way home from the grocery store in their compact Toyota Yaris.

At 6:24 p.m., the driver of the Buick lost control and crashed into the back of the Parisian's car, police said. The impact shattered the driver's seat where Jennifer was sitting. She died in hospital.

“For me it literally means losing your better half. She made me a better person, and I don't have that anymore,” said Lauran Parise, who suffered a broken nose, facial fractures, ligament damage, multiple cuts and bruises in the accident.

Gresham police concluded the driver of the Buick was not the robbery suspect they were looking for. It was another man.

Nathan Franklin Jr. is charged with manslaughter, assault, driving under the influence of intoxicants and reckless driving.

A spokesman for the city of Gresham declined to comment due to pending litigation. Officials previously said the officer did not violate any department policies and was not disciplined. Officer Buck could not be reached for comment.

Jennifer Parise leaves behind a 10-year-old son, who is a plaintiff in the lawsuit.

“There is nothing that can be done to bring them back. But it’s important that this doesn’t happen to other people,” said Lauran Parise.