Keizer City Councilor Soraida Cross cited her public position and friendship with two law enforcement leaders during a police encounter that resulted in her citation for a misdemeanor crime, according to a newly-disclosed police video.
Cross was accused of criminal harassment in May after a woman reported the councilor pushed her off a barstool with no warning. The citation was dropped and Cross subsequently portrayed herself in a statement as a victim, not an attacker.
The episode happened just before midnight on May 14 at the Keizer home that Cross shared at the time with her former husband, Mark Cross. Salem police responded to a 911 call from the victim, taking the case to avoid any conflict for the Keizer Police Department.
Officer Jayden Meade activated his body camera to record his interactions with the victim and Soraida. The city of Salem released the video after a public records request, blurring out faces of all as required by law.
The recording shows that as Meade began to read Cross her rights, she spoke up.
“You know I’m a city councilor,” she said.
Meade said he didn’t know that and pressed ahead to read the Miranda rights.
“You shouldn’t even be here,” Cross told him.
She then invoked the name of Keizer Police Chief Andrew Copeland.
“I’m playing golf with Copeland in two days,” she said.
As Meade proceeded to question her, she said her ex-husband was setting her up.
“Copeland can tell you,” she said, adding a few moments later, “I talk to Copeland all the time.”
As the questioning continued, Cross then made an apparent reference to Marion County Sheriff Nick Hunter.
“The sheriff knows what Mark has done,” she said, adding moments later that “Hunter is one of my good friends.” She then said, “I’ll call Hunter right now.”
Meade didn’t include any of her comments in his later written report.
WATCH THE VIDEO: Salem police body cam recording
Oregon ethics law makes it illegal for a public official to use their office for personal benefit. The law states: “A public official may not use or attempt to use official position or office to obtain financial gain or avoidance of financial detriment for the public official.”
Facing a possible arrest and prosecution, Cross could have faced costs, such as attorney fees, to address the circumstance.
Cross, elected to the council in 2022, did not respond to questions about her intentions in her remarks or her knowledge of the ethics law. Officials such as Cross are required to get training in that law.
Copeland said Cross called him the night of the incident “but I did not answer.” He hasn’t talked to her since then about that night, he said.
He said that he didn’t play golf with Cross, but rather they were on separate teams playing during the KeizerFEST golf tournament.
The chief said he doesn’t have personal conversations with Cross.
“I regularly communicate with City Councilors both before and after council meetings and work sessions,” he said. “While we occasionally speak in person, the majority of our communication occurs via text message.”
The sheriff didn’t respond to written questions about the matter or his relationship with Cross.
Contact Editor Les Zaitz: [email protected]
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