Officers resign from Portland protest response unit

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Officers who serve on a specialized crowd-control unit in Portland who have responded to the city’s ongoing, often violent protests have resigned en masse after criminal charges were filed against a team member.

The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the officers on the Rapid Response Team voted to resign from the team during a meeting Wednesday night.

The move by officers and sergeants to disband their own team came a day after a team member was indicted. He is accused of fourth-degree assault stemming from a baton strike against a protester last summer.

The team has been on the front lines at social justice protests held in the city after the May 25, 2020 murder of George Floyd.

“I don’t think it is just an indictment that caused this to happen, I think it is a very long complicated history of things that have gone on over the last 14 months,” Acting Portland Police Chief Chris Davis said.

Read more at: https://apnews.com/article/george-floyd-portland-oregon-government-and-politics-13a4e9c18c98910dd2c3b760ed757f17