PORTLAND, OR – The Portland Police Bureau’s Rapid Response Team, the unit responsible for policing protests in the city, voted unanimously to resign on Wednesday during a meeting with the police union.
This follows the criminal indictment of an officer for assault stemming from a riot in August 2020.
PPB’s Rapid Response Team resigned in mass from the team late Wednesday night, according to multiple city sources.
The resignations came after the DA announced Officer Corey Budworth would face criminal charges for use of force at a protest. https://t.co/PmnJ3ohOTL
— Rebecca Ellis (@Rjaellis) June 17, 2021
The Rapid Response Team, a group of police officers that volunteer for the post, is deployed to respond to riots, civil unrest, and demonstrations in Portland.
Response team Officer Corey Budworth was indicted this week for alleged excessive force used during a riot last year.
A second Rapid Response Team member, Det. Erik Kammerer is being investigated by the Oregon Department of Justice over similar allegations.
On the night of August 18, 2020, Antifa militants threw a Molotov cocktail into the County Sheriff’s Department Headquarters as the Rapid Response Team struggled to contain the riot. Officer Budworth was using a baton to hold back rioters when he struck a female in the head.
Mike Schmidt announced he had indicted RRT member Corey Budworth in connection with response to a riot Aug 18, 2020.
That night, an outnumbered RRT tried to quell an Antifa planned riot including a Molotov cocktail thrown into the Multnomah building HQ for the Co Sheriff’s dept— Lars Larson (@LarsLarsonShow) June 17, 2021