Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler has asked the U.S. Attorney’s office to end the federal deputization of 56 Portland Police officers, currently slated to last the rest of this year.
The majority of the city’s Rapid Response Team was deputized as federal marshals for a far-right rally in Portland on Saturday amid widespread fears that the large gathering of protesters and counter-protesters would lead to violence.
But city officials seemed to be operating under the assumption that the local police would keep that status only for the weekend. As OPB first reported, it will, in fact, last until the end of December under the current agreement.
Deputizing Portland officers gives federal prosecutors the option to charge anyone they arrest with federal crimes, which usually come with harsher penalties.
The mayor’s office said in a statement they had “asked the U.S. Attorney’s office to withdraw the designation.”
It’s not clear who ultimately made the decision to extend the local police force’s federal status for three months.
“A key feature of the designation is that anyone who assaults a federally deputized official could be subject to federal charges,” read a statement from the mayor’s office. “Fortunately, I am confident the Multnomah County District Attorney will continue to prosecute anyone who assaults or otherwise harms police officers or others.”
It’s not clear who ultimately made the decision to extend the local police’s federal status for three months. In an interview with the Oregonian, State Police Supt. Travis Hampton, who the governor has asked to spearhead the police response to the rally alongside the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office, said he had asked that the U.S. Marshals Service be given the federal powers as he wanted to “ensure they have all the protections and authority of OSP troopers.”
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