Portland police chief says videos of police brutality "raise concerns"

Portland Police Bureau Chief Chuck Lovell says videos circulating online of altercations between police and demonstrators “raise legitimate concerns.”

Videos show protesters being beaten, shoved, shot at with crowd-control munitions, arrested, and dragged down the streets of the city, away from declared “riot” areas.

On Wednesday, Chief Lovell wrote on Twitter, “These videos show force by officers, which by its very nature can look disturbing.”

“These videos raise legitimate concerns.”

• See also:
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  • Oregon Governor Kate Brown calls for an end to violence in Portland

“We examine these videos, investigate these incidents for full context, and take action when appropriate. Some officers have been removed from crowd management response while the actions are reviewed.”

Chief Lovell said the actions of his officers is not always in line with the goals of the PPB. “We are not perfect. We make mistakes and hold ourselves accountable.”

“We will continue to hold ourselves to the highest standards while providing our duties.”

Earlier in the week, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed into law the House Bill 4301 that prohibits chokeholds and other air impediment techniques often used to detain persons by the police.