Portland police's entire crowd control unit resigns after indictment of
officer
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[June 18, 2021]
By Kanishka Singh
(Reuters) - 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.
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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."
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![](../images/061821PIX/news_e9.jpg)
Police line up outside the Portland Police Bureau's North Precinct
on the 101st consecutive night of protests against police violence
and racial inequality in Portland, Oregon, U.S. September 6, 2020.
REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs.
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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.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Raju
Gopalakrishnan)
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