Portland police chief resigns, promoting black officer: It’s the ‘right moment’

The police chief of Portland, Ore., resigned Monday, promoting a black lieutenant to serve as her replacement amid protests in the city following George Floyd’s death. 

“He’s the exact right person at the exact right moment,” Jami Resch, the outgoing chief, said at a news conference of Lt. Chuck Lovell, according to ABC News. 

Resch has been with the department for more than 20 years, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB). 

“To say this was unexpected would be an understatement,” Lovell said, OPB reported.

“I think one of the most important things we can do as an organization is to convey to the community our heart,” he added. “We love you. We fall down sometimes.”

During Monday’s news conference, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler (D) said he would announce further “financial policy and legislative” changes to the Portland Police Bureau on Tuesday, OBP reported. 

Portland police said Monday that at least 20 arrests were made after a demonstration against police brutality on Sunday night developed into a “civil disturbance.” 

Police said that around 11:30 p.m., “full beverage containers, glass bottles, hard boiled eggs, rocks and other projectiles were thrown at officers.” A Portland fire medic who was working with the officers was hit in the stomach, according to police. 

Around midnight, police declared a civil disturbance and an awful assembly. Officials said the group was warned that if it did not leave the area, it would be subject to “arrest and or force, including crowd control munitions.” 

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Oregon issued a statement calling on police to stop using “chemical and impact weapons” against demonstrators. 

“While it is repugnant, it is sadly unsurprising that the Portland Police Bureau’s response to protests against police brutality has been excessive, violent, and dangerous. This has been a longstanding pattern that must end,” the ACLU said. 

“We join the protesters in calling for a new approach in our community, and demanding that we uphold the rights of people who have historically had their rights and humanity denied,” it added.