While Portland’s police chief has encouraged residents to exercise their First Amendment rights in response to recent shootings by federal agents, videos show his own officers exhibiting violence against a protester and justifying the shooting of Renee Good in Minnesota.

Now, the actions of two Portland Police Bureau (PPB) officers are under internal review.

On Saturday, video surfaced of a PPB bike officer defending the deadly shooting of Good in Minneapolis by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent last week. The officer was part of a squad monitoring a protest at the ICE facility in South Portland.

That video was captured the day after another PPB officer was filmed repeatedly punching a protester on the ground who was already subdued.

Officer says ICE was justified in killing Minnesota woman

A video captured Friday, January 9, shows a protester engaging with an officer—identified only by his badge number 930—during an anti-ICE protest. The demonstrator became increasingly outraged as the cop shrugged off Good’s death, cavalierly suggesting it was warranted.

Good—a 37-year-old poet and mother of three—was a legal observer who ICE agents said was impeding them with her SUV. Video shows Good and another occupant in her vehicle, both US citizens, briefly engaging with agents. Good’s passenger got back in the car as an agent ordered them to “get out of the car.” One agent had positioned himself in front of Good’s vehicle, then started to draw his gun, firing at her as she drove away. She died moments later.

“Sometimes criminals get shot,” the Portland officer tells an anti-ICE protester in response to Good’s actions. “It happens.”

“By who?” the protester asks, filming at a close range.

“By law enforcement,” the officer responds. He goes on to suggest that anyone deemed to be breaking the law is at risk of being shot by police, including those driving their car “at a cop.”

@thatanticaptialist Every single law enforcement officer should have watch the video of Renee Nicole Good being murdered and thought about how they could have avoided this tragedy, but the PPB watched it and doubled down. The attitude of cops accepting that “criminals” get shot sometimes is alarming! The use of deadly force should NOT be normalized. Especially considering law enforcement considers “criminal” and “brown” to be synonymous. #ice #portland #portlandpolicebureau #portlandmusicfestival #pdx ♬ original sound - thatanticaptialist

“Renee Nicole Good? What she did?!” the protester asks, audibly angry. “You would shoot her too?”

“If she drove a car at me, yes,” the officer responds. At one point another person nearby asked who he voted for. “Trump. That’s your question?” he responds. 

US law provides narrow circumstances for when officers are permitted to use deadly force against someone. Namely–when an officer’s life or someone else’s life is in danger.

Department of Homeland Security officials claim Good “weaponized her vehicle” and was targeting the agent, despite video footage that contradicts that claim.

PPB confirmed the officer, who has not yet been identified, has been pulled from protest monitoring and “assigned to other duties” while the Bureau reviews the remarks made. The Bureau didn’t say whether the officer’s actions could be subject to discipline. 

The officers’ remarks have drawn scrutiny from the public, particularly because Portland Police Chief Bob Day has twice encouraged Portlanders to exercise their rights and speak out peacefully about their frustration and disapproval of recent shootings by immigration officers in Minneapolis and Portland.

“I’m hopeful that although the concern is high, that we will have a peaceful but robust and active weekend. We encourage that participation,” Chief Day said Friday at a press conference.  

Day made similar remarks Thursday evening during a different press conference with reporters, hours after a Border Patrol agent shot and injured two people in East Portland. The incident ignited several protests and vigils around the city.

Video of the officer’s remarks caught the attention of Portland City Councilor Angelita Morillo, who said she’s “appalled and frankly enraged” to see PPB officers talking to protesters after the shooting in Minnesota and another one the following day in Portland, in which two people were shot and injured by a Border Patrol agent. 

Councilor Morillo, who represents District 3 and sits on the Community and Public Safety Committee, called the officer’s remarks “completely unacceptable behavior” and said she’d be reaching out to the police chief and mayor for answers. 

Councilor Tiffany Koyama Lane, who also represents District 3, also spoke out, calling the statements in the video "deeply concerning."

"The Mayor and Police Chief owe both the Council and the public clarity about how this is being reviewed and what accountability looks like," Koyama Lane said in a statement provided to the Mercury. "As Councilors, our role is oversight—especially in moments like this—and that responsibility cannot be set aside because the issue is difficult or uncomfortable. I cannot, and will not, tell my constituents not to feel anger when what they are seeing raises serious questions about conduct, trust, and public safety."

On Sunday, Chief Day released a statement confirming that a complaint about the officer’s behavior and remarks are “under review.”

“Tensions are high at this time, and this is affecting all of us, including community members and Portland Police Bureau members. Our goal is to ensure that community trust is maintained and that members of the Bureau consistently represent the professional standards that everyone deserves,” Day stated. “As we move through what may be challenging days and weeks ahead, it remains essential that all of us seek steady, respectful communication that supports safety and lawful protest activity.”

Portland Mayor Keith Wilson also released a statement, disavowing the officer’s remarks.

“Like Renee, everyday Portlanders across the city have stood up to a reckless, escalatory federal government, and they need to know their local leaders and law enforcement are on their side,” Wilson said. “I have full confidence in Chief Day and the Portland Police Bureau as they review this incident, determine next steps, and continue to set nation-leading standards of transparent, accountable community policing and use of force training.”

Bureau says use of force will be reviewed after officer punched protester

Around the same time as local officials caught wind of the officer’s remarks, another video surfaced showing a PPB officer repeatedly punching a protester that was being restrained during a different anti-ICE protest on Thursday, January 9. The video was captured by freelance journalist Kevin Foster, a frequent contributor to the Mercury.

In response to questions from the Mercury about the use of force against the protester, PPB said officers are authorized to use force in a variety of situations, in accordance with the Bureau’s policies. Sgt. Kevin Allen, a spokesperson for PPB, confirmed the incident will be reviewed to determine whether that officer acted in accordance with PPB policy.

Sgt. Allen said PPB policy requires an administrative review, called an after-action, for all use of force incidents beyond standard, minimal force. He noted the review “will require a supervisor to interview involved officers, witness officers, any other witnesses, collect evidence including video and [body-worn camera] footage, and make a determination whether the force used is in policy.”

Allen said the video will be reviewed through PPB chain of command and the force inspector. 

“It’s important that it include all available information about the circumstances, not just a brief clip on social media,” Allen added.

Here’s an excerpt from PPB’s policies around use of force:

“The Bureau will train members in all categories of force and de-escalation techniques to help them safely and effectively resolve confrontations. However, the Bureau recognizes that each situation is unique and presents its own challenges, and expects members to adapt and apply Bureau training principles reasonably in unanticipated situations.

“Members shall attempt to avoid or minimize the use of force against individuals in actual or perceived mental health crisis or those with mental illness and direct such individuals to the appropriate services, where possible.”

Both actions from PPB officers come just a few months after the city’s mayor and attorney lambasted federal officers for using excessive force during anti-ICE protests and during immigration enforcement in written correspondence to DHS and the US Department of Justice. 

Additionally, two senior command members from PPB testified during federal court hearings in October that DHS officers were observed escalating violence during anti-ICE protests and using crowd control munitions like tear gas and projectiles indiscriminately, conflicting with Oregon’s laws for police, and general best practices. 

Across Portland, protests and vigils for those impacted by violence from federal agents have drawn hundreds of people, including a Thursday evening vigil in front of City Hall, anti-ICE protests at the agency’s facility in the South Waterfront neighborhood, and rallies at Terry Schrunk Plaza downtown.