- Portland police officers in the department’s crowd control unit resigned en masse from the unit on Wednesday.
- The resignation happened one day after an officer on the team was charged with assaulting a protester.
- The officers will still continue to be a part of the Portland Police Bureau.
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Portland police officers with the force’s crowd control unit resigned en masse on Wednesday night, one day after a team member was charged with fourth-degree assault on a protester, according to Oregon Live.
Oregon Live reported that a police lieutenant informed Police Chief Chuck Lovell that the members quit over a perceived lack of support from city leaders and from the district attorney.
The officers and sergeants will remain on the police force, but are quitting the volunteer Rapid Response Team.
The mass resignation comes as Officer Cody Budworth was indicted on a fourth-degree assault charge after he allegedly hit Terri Jacobs, an independent photographer, in the face with a baton last summer after she had already been knocked to the ground.
The Portland Police Association said in a statement that Budworth “accidentally struck” the journalist in the head while trying to keep her from getting up on August 18, 2020.
Videos of the incident were posted on social media and show an officer, later identified as Budworth, pushing Jacobs from behind before striking her in the face with his baton.
Jacobs told KATU News that she was wearing a press badge and was picking up a fallen friend when she was pushed to the ground by Budworth.
Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt told KATU News that prosecutors did not rush Budworth’s investigation and took the time to interview every officer and witness willing to give an interview.
“It just takes a long time to work up these investigations and do a thorough and good job which is I think what justice demands – that we don’t move too quickly,” Schmidt said.
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