Following Indictment Of Officer, Portland Police Crowd Control Unit Resigns

The indictment is the first time a Portland police officer has been prosecuted for firing at someone during a protest.

The entire crowd control team of Portland police have tendered their resignations 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.

As gathered, a grand jury earlier this week 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.

The indictment is the first time a Portland police officer has been prosecuted for firing at someone during a protest, according to the Oregonian newspaper.

The Portland Police Association has dubbed 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 witnessed protracted anti-racism protests in the wake of George Floyd’s death, an African-American who died after a Minneapolis police officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes.

The city became rife with agitations 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.

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Portland police declared the demonstrations a riot and arrested several protesters during the course of those months.

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.

Ronny Ikpoto

Edidiong-Ronny Ikpoto holds a First Class degree in Media Studies. He shares a healthy enthusiasm for journalism, social & literary criticism, and creative writing.