Officers resign from Portland, Oregon, protest response unit

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Officers who serve on a specialized crowd-control unit in Portland, Oregon, and have responded to the city’s ongoing, often violent protests have resigned en masse after criminal charges were filed against a team member. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the officers on the Rapid Response Team voted to resign from the team during a meeting Wednesday night. The move by officers and sergeants to disband their own team came a day after a team member was indicted. He is accused of fourth-degree assault stemming from a baton strike against a protester last summer. The team has been on the front lines at social justice protests held in the city after the murder of George Floyd last year.