Should I talk with the police?

In almost every case, no: you should not talk to police without legal counsel.  Often, people erroneously believe that if they just explain themselves, everything will be ok.  Oregon jails and prisons are full of people who made this mistake.  Put plainly, if you find yourself being interrogated by the police, it is nearly impossible to talk your way out of trouble, and beguilingly easy to talk your way into much deeper trouble than had you declined to speak with them.

Tell the police before you can speak with them, you would like to speak with a lawyer.  Be certain to state this explicitly.  Don’t ask if you should speak to a lawyer or suggest you may want to speak with a lawyer.  Instead, politely insist on speaking to a lawyer, and decline to further communicate until that request is honored.

“He saved my career and helped me leave a toxic housing situation … . Overall his representation and legal assistance went above and beyond my expectations.”
– A (They/Them)