From Reuters:
“Portland police’s entire
crowd control unit resigns after indictment of officer”
All members of the crowd control
team of Portland police have resigned from their positions in the unit after an
officer was indicted on an assault charge stemming from alleged illegal use of
force during a protest last year. "On June 16, 2021, Portland Police
Bureau employees serving as members of the Rapid Response Team (RRT) left their
voluntary positions and no longer comprise a team", Portland Police said
in a statement on Thursday, adding that the employees will continue in their regular
assignments. The unit had about 50 employees, who served as its members, in
addition to their daily assignments with the police, according to the statement
on Thursday. Earlier this week, a grand jury indicted a Portland police officer
on an assault charge for what prosecutors allege was an "excessive and
unlawful use of force" during a protest last summer.
Portland Police Bureau Officer
Corey Budworth was indicted on Tuesday with one count of fourth-degree assault,
a misdemeanor, stemming from the August 2020 incident, the Multnomah County
District Attorney's Office said. The indictment marked the first time a
Portland police officer faced prosecution stemming from striking or firing at
someone during a protest, according to the Oregonian newspaper. The Portland
Police Association described the decision as being "politically
driven" and said the officer "has been caught in the crossfire of
agenda-driven city leaders and a politicized criminal justice system."
Last year, Portland saw months of
anti-racism protests following the death of George Floyd, an African-American
who died after a police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes. The
city became the scene of unrest for months, with civil rights, anarchist and
anti-fascist protesters scuffling with police and occasionally with right-wing
militias and supporters of then U.S. President Donald Trump. Portland’s police
declared a riot in multiple of those demonstrations and arrested several people
during the course of those months.
^ It’s good to see the Police sticking
together in this instance. Portland, Oregon was (is?) a Purge Zone last year
where the City and State Officials allowed violence to reign. It was (is?) the
same in Seattle, Washington. People from all sides were allowed by the majority
to commit their attacks on others without much being done to stop them. The Portland
Police did their best to stop them – even as City and State Officials sided
with the violence and the protesters. Because of that Portland, Oregon has lost
any sense of rule of law. The RRT was right to stand by one of their own and
show the other Officials that they (the Officials) were/are in the wrong. ^
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