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| Portland was shaken by weeks of demonstrations following the death of George Floyd last year. (Photo by: Getty Images) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] Every member of a police crowd-control unit in the US city of Portland has resigned after one of its officers was indicted on an assault charge. The charge stemmed from violent anti-racism protests that rocked the city, in the state of Oregon, last year, BBC reported.
Prosecutors allege the officer used "excessive and unlawful use of force" against a protester in August 2020. But Portland's police union described the decision to prosecute the officer as "politically driven". The crowd-control unit, known as the Rapid Response Team (RRT), comprised about 50 police officers. They serve in the team voluntarily and are deployed during events such as riots, large-scale searches or disaster situations. In a statement, Portland police said members had "left their voluntary positions and no longer comprise a team". It said the officers would continue in their regular assignments.
Portland experienced weeks of protests against racism and police brutality following the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in May. Amid widespread rioting, vandalism and arson that often took place at night, the RTT was sent in to disperse crowds. The Portland Police Association said the officer had been "caught in the crossfire of agenda-driven city leaders and a politicised criminal justice system".
