A memorial for Robert Delgado placed in Lents Park in April. Jordan Brokaw A Multnomah County grand jury has declined to charge Portland Police Officer Zachary DeLong for killing Robert Delgado in Lents Park in April. DeLong and another officer drove to Lents Park on April 19 after receiving a 911 call describing a man […]
Cops
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Portland Police Violated State Law by Livestreaming Protests, Court Finds
Portland police arrive at a protest in August 2020. Paula Bronstein / Getty Images The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) violated state law in 2020 when it filmed protest activity and shared livestreamed footage internally and over social media channels, a Multnomah County judge ruled Monday. Multnomah County Judge Thomas Ryan’s ruling sides with ACLU of […]
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City Funding for Community-Led Gun Violence Programs Off to a Slow Start
Gun casings scattered on the street at a crime scene. D-Keine / Getty Images As gun deaths surged this spring, Portland City Council moved quickly to make a significant investment in gun violence prevention programs. The emergency budget package of $6 million did something that past city measures to deter gun violence have not: It […]
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Grand Jury Declines to Charge Portland Officer for Fatally Shooting Michael Townsend
Officers block off the street near the Motel 6 where Townsend was killed on July 24. MATHIEU LEWIS-ROLLAND A Multnomah County grand jury ruled Wednesday that there wasn’t enough evidence to charge Portland Police Officer Curtis Brown with a crime for fatally shooting Michael Ray Townsend outside a Lloyd District hotel in June. Records show […]
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Police Identify Officers Involved in Sunday Shooting
Portland officers on the scene of a June shooting. Mathieu Lewis-Rolland Portland police have identified the two officers involved in a shooting Sunday morning in which a person was injured, shedding more light on a largely opaque incident. According to the Portland Police Bureau (PPB), officers Ivan Alvarez and Jonah Gellman both fired their weapons […]
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Hall Monitor: Risk-Averse
Portland Police—and Politicians—Have Given Protesters Little Reason to Feel Safe
Michelle Fawcett in 2019 Doug Brown Hall Monitor is a regular column on issues related to Portland City Hall and its influence on the community it serves.— It’s been three years since a Portland cop shot a munition into a crowd of people protesting a right-wing rally and struck Michelle Fawcett, leaving her with searing […]
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Portland Police Exempt from City’s Vaccination Order
STEVE DYKES/GETTY IMAGES Portland’s new policy requiring all city staff be vaccinated against COVID-19 doesn’t apply to the city’s police force, according to city attorneys. That’s because Oregon law prohibits city administrators from requiring vaccinations for police officers unless there’s a federal or state rule mandating vaccines already in place. In a statement shared with […]
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DA Schmidt Explains Decision to Dismiss 12 Cases Against Portland Police
Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt at a 2020 press conference. NATHAN HOWARD / GETTY IMAGES It’s been more than a year since Portlanders watched police use physical violence and munitions to stifle racial justice protests across the city, and only one Portland police officer has been criminally charged. As videos of police violence from […]
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Chief Lovell Taps Mike Frome to Serve as Deputy Chief
Mike Frome PPB Leadership within the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) is undergoing another reshuffle: Chief Chuck Lovell has appointed former Assistant Chief Mike Frome to be his second in command as deputy chief. Frome, who has led the bureau’s Services Branch since July 2020, replaces outgoing Deputy Chief Chris Davis, who has accepted a job […]
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City Officials Say They’re Eager to Resolve Police’s Non-Compliance with DOJ Settlement; Community Groups Skeptical
Portland police fell out of compliance with the city’s settlement with the US Department of Justice during their heavy-handed response to racial justice protests in 2020. Mathieu Lewis-Rolland In the latest hearing for the joint settlement agreement between the City of Portland and the US Department of Justice (DOJ), the city expressed its determination to […]
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What Will Oversight Look Like For PPB’s New Gun Violence Team?
Members of PPB’s former gun violence team, stopping a driver. Portland Auditor’s Office It’s been more than a year since Portland City Council voted to disband the Gun Violence Reduction Team (GVRT), a police unit focused on deterring gun crimes, citing the team’s record of disproportionately pulling over Black drivers. Now, as Portland Police Bureau […]
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Police Arrest Activist Who Toted Rifle Through Downtown Portland
Mark Lee, shortly after reaching PPB’s Central Precinct building Sunday evening. NATHAN HOWARD / GETTY IMAGES Portland police have arrested a man who walked through downtown Portland Sunday evening, pointing a realistic looking air soft rifle at members of the public. According to the Portland Police Bureau (PPB), officers arrested 23-year-old Mark Lee at his […]