by Alex Zielinski
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Apr 6, 2021 at 7:35 am
Portland police before a June 6, 2020 protest. Blair Stenvick
According to attorneys with the US Department of Justice (DOJ), Portland's current police oversight board is relying on flawed—if not unconstitutional—logic to clear Portland cops of alleged misconduct. This is especially true in cases where officers used force against a member of the public during 2020's racial justice protests.
In a March 23 letter sent to the City of Portland, DOJ attorneys list recent examples of the city's Police Review Board (PRB) relying on erroneous information, provided by Portland Police Bureau (PPB) leaders, to determine whether or not an officer acted in violation of PPB policy.