National Police Association Tells Federal Court Portland City Hall is too Anti-Cop to Defend its Police

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Jul 06, 2020, 09:52 ET

INDIANAPOLIS, July 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Police Association (NPA), a 501c3 nonprofit, has been granted leave to participate as a friend of the court in an ACLU lawsuit against Portland police officers. Permission was granted over the objection of the City of Portland, after the NPA argued Portland City Hall is too anti-cop to be the sole voice defending the Portland police officers in this lawsuit.

It is widely known that Portland's policies of no bail and low bail releases are permitting rioters to return to engage in unlawful conduct again and again. Amidst the nightly property destruction and anti-police violence in Portland, City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, exemplifying the City's attitude, went so far as to Tweet: "Nightly, peaceful protestors are met with police officers in full riot gear. I ask what message we are sending to our community and to our officers ourselves when this is the norm?"

Instead of acting to address the severe understaffing of their police department which exacerbates the inability of the police to defend the City or themselves, Portland has instead voted to defund 15 million dollars from the police budget as an appeasement to the rioters and their City Hall protectors. Portland has further gutted the SWAT team and eliminated the Gun Violence Reduction Team presumably because those units were too effective in combatting criminals. Various proposals by the City to further debilitate police officers are being advanced.

The suit claims self-described journalists embedded with rioters are being targeted by Portland police officers and should be immune from arrest for participating in criminal acts. The NPA believes that the relief sought here goes far beyond limiting any targeting of journalists and is in substance a component of a larger effort to destroy law and order in Portland (and Nationwide) through restrictions on local police action essential to regain order and to protect police officers.

As Antifa and their fellow protestors in Portland rip down statues, damage business, deface buildings and set fires, egged on by the City's non-enforcement policies and political support, the NPA's brief to the Court will provide a perspective unfiltered by City officials hostile to the most fundamental values the Court is sworn to protect.

The National Police Association is represented by James L. Buchal of Murphy & Buchal LLP. The case is 3:20-cv-01035-SI Woodstock et al v. City of Portland et al, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon.

The NPA's motion for leave to participate can be read here: https://nationalpolice.org/dev/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/NPA-Motion-for-Leave-to-Participate-as-Amicus-7-2-20.pdf

NationalPolice.org is a 501(c)3 nonprofit with a mission of educating supporters of law enforcement in how to help police departments accomplish their goals.

Media Contact:
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SOURCE National Police Association