Portland Police Criticized by the Oregon DOJ for Delaying Investigations into the 2020 Racial Unrest Protests

The Oregon Department of Justice (DOJ) has criticized the Portland Police Bureau for the protracted delay of investigations into the improper use of force by officers during the city’s racial unrest protests in 2020.

Police Accused of Improper Use of Force

Investigations have been underway for 923 days instead of the 180-day completion requirement, according to a DOJ lawyer in the federal court in Portland on Tuesday.

The Justice Department found that Portland police failed to review or document more than 6,000 incidents in which officers used force during the racial justice protests following the killing of George Floyd in the police in Minneapolis in 2020.

One year later, the DOJ issued formal notice to Portland, citing failure to meet key areas on police reforms, and inappropriate management and use of force during the protests. Portland police was also accused of providing inadequate training and below-par supervision.

Portland’s Independent Police Review office began four investigations after the event. The investigations, however, remain ongoing.

At Tuesday’s hearing, a lawyer for the Albina Ministerial Alliance’s Coalition for Justice and Police Reform said the city should be asked to provide accountability and explain why the supervisory investigations remain open.

Investigations Must Identify Supervisors Responsible for Poor Training

The focus of the four investigations is to identify the supervisors responsible for poor training, lapses, and delays in completing force reports and after-action reviews and allowing the use of force in violation of bureau policy, or for failing to clarify bureau force policies.

While the DOJ acknowledged that the Police Bureau has introduced a policy of body-worn cameras by its officers which was one of the remedies called for to meet settlement terms, the federal department has yet to be given access to the camera recordings.

A new court-approved independent monitor to oversee settlement reforms and the Independent Police Review have open access to the police body camera footage, unlike the DOJ.

After the riots, voters approved the 2020 initiative championed by former City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty to create an independent civilian oversight board. At the hearing, community leaders cited the 2022 police shooting of Immanuel Jaquez Clark-Johnson (30) as an example of why citizens should have oversight of police.

Officer Christopher Sathoff was cleared for the shooting and death of an unarmed Clark-Johnson by Police Chief Bob Day and former Mayor Ted Wheeler. Sathoff shot Clark-Johnson in the back as he ran away from officers who had approached the wrong car in a robbery investigation.

The dead man’s family has a lawsuit pending against the city.