Cops

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

A far-right activist carries a rifle through downtown Portland Sunday night. NATHAN HOWARD / GETTY IMAGES Those visiting downtown Portland Sunday evening were confronted with an alarming scene: A man associated with far-right extremists strolling through the street, pointing what appeared to be an assault rifle at various members of the public. In several photos, […]

Portland police responding to a 2020 protest. MATHIEU LEWIS-ROLLAND At the last public bargaining session between the city of Portland and the Portland Police Association (PPA)—the union representing rank-and-file Portland cops—city attorneys hinted at a proposal that would restructure the current discipline guide followed by Portland Police Bureau (PPB) leadership. Now, with those contract negotiations […]

Dylan Goldberger Police body worn cameras are once again a talking point in the mayor’s office. On Tuesday, Mayor Ted Wheeler instructed the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) to begin research on creating a bureau program that would require officers wear body cameras while on duty. “I have directed the Police Bureau to begin researching equipment […]