After a long week of constant violence, the Portland, Oregon, police chief took to Twitter with what amounted to a plea to criminals in the community to stop their behavior.
“The violence shown last night toward officers and over the weekend is shocking and reprehensible. In the last four days, officers have been shot at, had suspects fight with them, run over by a vehicle and another almost run over,” Chief of Portland Police Chuck Lovell posted to Twitter on Tuesday.
Several violent acts overwhelmed the city’s police department last week, Fox News reported.
One such incident involved a suspect hitting two police cruisers with his truck and almost running over a cop. The suspect, who was confronted by police for reports of gunshots nearby, escaped in his vehicle.
A separate incident saw an officer get hit by a vehicle during a stolen vehicle investigation. The officer was rushed to the hospital for their wounds, according to KGW-TV.
Portland cops were also involved in an altercation with a domestic violence suspect, resulting in the criminal’s death after he pulled out a gun.
Lovell continued his Twitter post by trying to remind the city — including its criminals — that his officers “deserve to go home at night” alive. Law-abiding citizens don’t need to be told that.
“Officers are answering 911 emergency calls trying to help people,” Lovell wrote on Twitter. “They deserve to go home at night to their loved ones. They deserve and need the community’s support as they continue to help make a difference in this city.”
Officers are answering 911 emergency calls trying to help people. They deserve to go home at night to their loved ones. They deserve and need the community’s support as they continue to help make a difference in this city.
— Chief Chuck Lovell (@ChiefCLovell) July 26, 2022
Rank-and-file members of the department aren’t happy either.
“It’s beginning to get frustrating for the officers and hopefully members of the community are getting frustrated, as well,” Portland police Officer Derek Carmon told KGW.
Crime in the liberal city has gotten worse over the past two years, especially after the death of George Floyd in May 2020. Because of this, Portland has seen its fair share of “defund the police” and other social justice movements.
Would you live in Portland?
The coronavirus pandemic did not help matters either as citizens were told by the federal and state governments to coop up inside their homes for several weeks.
Despite the City Council’s attempt to appease activists by cutting funding for the Portland Police Bureau in 2020, the city did not see a decrease in violence.
In fact, continued violence forced the city council to add $5.2 million worth of funds back into the police department in November 2021, PBS reported.
Just a month ago, the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade ruling led riotous protesters to damage local businesses.
Last week’s incidents only added to this ongoing issue for the Oregonian city.
