Portland police react to report on its response to Black Lives Matter protests – WMTW Portland

Portland police Chief Frank Clark on Friday reacted to an independent report on the police departments response to Black Lives Matter protests last year.Clark said the 64-page report validates the work his officers did t respond to the most violent night of the protests in the weeks following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.On June 1, 2020, a small group mixed with hundreds of peaceful protesters in downtown Portland. It was four hours after the protest began and 90 minutes after organizers told everyone to go home, according to the report."We had at least three cruisers, I believe, where we had people, protestors jump on the car, trying to break windows, Clark said.Stores, such as Urban Outfitters, saw their windows smashed. Old Port Spirits & Cigars was vandalized and looted. More than 20 buildings were tagged with graffiti.Police arrested 22 people. None complained about their treatment by officers, according to the report.Clark said he considers his department to be a guardian of public order and the Constitution."How can we make sure that this group, however many there are, wherever they're gonna be, is able to exercise their First Amendment rights and peacefully demonstrate, Clark said.Black Portland Organizers Working to End Racism, a successor group to Black Lives Matter Portland, issued a statement to WMTW in response to the report saying, "The actions of PPD on June 1 caused several peaceful protestors to suffer from major panic attacks as well as several reports of peaceful youth protestors going into respiratory distress from use of pepper spray."Clark said the protests led him to tweak crowd control training for his 158 officers."It's been a demoralizing year for law enforcement, Clark said.Nationwide, police agencies are currently filling only 93% of jobs. Clark said the Portland Police Department is looking to fill 13 positions."My hope is that we're going to able to better engage with our community, we're going to bring people together again, because it's not us versus them. It's just got to be us. It's all of us, Clark said.

Portland police Chief Frank Clark on Friday reacted to an independent report on the police departments response to Black Lives Matter protests last year.

Clark said the 64-page report validates the work his officers did t respond to the most violent night of the protests in the weeks following the murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police.

On June 1, 2020, a small group mixed with hundreds of peaceful protesters in downtown Portland. It was four hours after the protest began and 90 minutes after organizers told everyone to go home, according to the report.

"We had at least three cruisers, I believe, where we had people, protestors jump on the car, trying to break windows, Clark said.

Stores, such as Urban Outfitters, saw their windows smashed. Old Port Spirits & Cigars was vandalized and looted. More than 20 buildings were tagged with graffiti.

Police arrested 22 people. None complained about their treatment by officers, according to the report.

Clark said he considers his department to be a guardian of public order and the Constitution.

"How can we make sure that this group, however many there are, wherever they're gonna be, is able to exercise their First Amendment rights and peacefully demonstrate, Clark said.

Black Portland Organizers Working to End Racism, a successor group to Black Lives Matter Portland, issued a statement to WMTW in response to the report saying, "The actions of PPD on June 1 caused several peaceful protestors to suffer from major panic attacks as well as several reports of peaceful youth protestors going into respiratory distress from use of pepper spray."

Clark said the protests led him to tweak crowd control training for his 158 officers.

"It's been a demoralizing year for law enforcement, Clark said.

Nationwide, police agencies are currently filling only 93% of jobs. Clark said the Portland Police Department is looking to fill 13 positions.

"My hope is that we're going to able to better engage with our community, we're going to bring people together again, because it's not us versus them. It's just got to be us. It's all of us, Clark said.

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Portland police react to report on its response to Black Lives Matter protests - WMTW Portland