Police Ignored Oregon Man Hallucinating on Mushrooms Who Severed Fingers and Suffered Severe Burns, Lawsuit Claims

The West Linn Police Department (WLPD) is facing a federal negligence lawsuit following a ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Michael H. Simon.

The Lawsuit alleges that WLPD officers should have entered the home of Michael A. Relloque IV, who was said to be hallucinating on magic mushrooms and harming himself.

However, Judge Simon dismissed allegations that WLPD officers had discriminated against Relloque because of his race or had intentionally caused him distress in the November 2022 incident.

Relloque’s lawyer alleged that police officers failed to help him because of the fallout that occurred after the deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville.

However, WLPD lawyers said officers were unaware of Relloque’s race at the time of the incident after they had responded to a 911 call by his roommate, Melissa Birdwell, after midnight on 14 November 2020.

He was Hallucinating and Smelled of Burnt Flesh

When the police arrived at the White Cloud residence, Birdwell told them that Relloque could be hallucinating and smelled of burnt flesh with blood on his arms and ash on his chest. According to court records, WLPD officers enquired about Relloque’s race and other questions, like his name and age.

The police used a PA system but failed to entice Relloque outside. Birdwell said officers told her to let Relloque ‘ride out his high’ and to spend the night elsewhere. They then instructed an ambulance and Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue to leave the scene before doing so themselves.

The following morning, WLPD received a call from Birdwell saying she had found a severed finger in the toilet bowl. When Officer Larry Redler arrived at the property, he found mushrooms on the floor and a cutting board in Relloque’s room.

Later that day, Redler received a call from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office reporting that Relloque had been found 50 miles from West Linn in Turner at 6.30 a.m. on 15 November.

Relloque was admitted to the Legacy Emanuel Burns Center in Portland, suffering burns to 30% of his body – mostly his arms and torso. He had lost eight of his fingers either from burning or amputation.

Relloque is of Pacific Island and Filipino descent and is a university graduate who worked as a film production assistant.