FBI, U.S. Attorney for Oregon respond to resignations within PPB protest response unit

PORTLAND, Ore. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon and the special agent in charge of the localFBI issued a statement Friday in response to dozens of Portland Police officers resigning from a specialized crowd-control unit earlier this week.

The members of the bureau’s Rapid Response Team, tasked with responding to Portland’s civil unrest over the past year, voted to resign from the volunteer assignment on Wednesday.

READ MORE |Officers on Portland Police's Rapid Response Team vote to resign

Portland Police Acting Chief Chris Davis said he feels the resignations were a culmination of a lot of things, including responding to the near-nightly protests and riots, and the support they were receiving from the city.

The move also came shortly after a team member was indicted on criminal charges for use of force against someone during a protest.

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The officers are still sworn members of the bureau and will continue their regular assignments, a PPB spokesperson said.

On Friday, the local U.S. Attorney’s Office issued a joint statement that acknowledged the officers’ reasons for resigning.

You can read the joint statement fromScott Erik Asphaug, Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, and Kieran L. Ramsey, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon below:

“Communities across the nation have endured many challenges over the past year as they attempt to address racial inequities in the wake of the murder of George Floyd. In Portland, those challenges included large and sometimes violent demonstrations that strained our local resources and repeatedly placed officers in the difficult position of policing large and sometimes hostile crowds. As law enforcement officials, we recognize that community members and law enforcement officers alike are responsible for their conduct and that our judicial system is designed to address wrongdoing equally, whether by community members or law enforcement officers.

Like all Portlanders, we are proud of our community’s long history of peaceful civic activism and free speech. We are also proud of the federal, state, and local law enforcement officers who continue to respond to Portland demonstrations to ensure all community members can exercise their First Amendment rights safely and without the threat of violence. We urge community members to join law enforcement in helping to ensure all future demonstrations remain peaceful and inclusive.”