Portland mayor now says police ‘hands off’ riot response was ‘not the right stra

[powderman]

Portland mayor now says police ‘hands off’ riot response was ‘not the right strategy’
Mayor Ted Wheeler said the city was still "trying to find the right recipe" for handling riots
By Dom Calicchio | Fox News

Fox News Flash top headlines for September 8
Portland, Oregon, city leaders used a "hands off" approach Aug. 22 when groups of armed protesters clashed in the city – but on Wednesday Mayor Ted Wheeler admitted it was "not the right strategy."

"It is clear, based on the public outcry, on the media outcry, on the national front, that that strategy was not the right strategy," Wheeler said during a Portland City Council meeting, according to The Associated Press.

"I think we can all acknowledge that," he added. "I take full responsibility for it."


He said Portland was still "trying to find the right recipe" for handling riots – seeking a solution somewhere between an "overwhelming police presence" and restrained law enforcement, the AP reported.

State lawmakers representing the northeast section of the city spoke out against the decision to keep police from intervening in the clash between crowds from the political left and right.

PORTLAND SEES NINE SHOOTINGS IN 16-HOUR SPAN; SERVICE DOG KILLED, POLICE SAY

Local residents also claimed they felt "terrorized and abandoned" as rioters in helmets and gas masks – and some armed with baseball bats and paintball guns – confronted each other.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler speaks at City Hall on Aug. 30, 2020. (Getty Images)
 A spokesperson for the Portland Police Bureau said authorities monitored the clash from an airplane, the AP reported.

City officials warned the public in advance that police would not be intervening in the protest as a reaction to claims that police presence exacerbated crowd tensions.

Wheeler claimed immediately afterward that the strategy was a success, with few reports of harm to the broader community or to property.

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"With strategic planning and oversight, the Portland Police Bureau and I mitigated confrontation between the two events and minimized the impact of the weekend’s events to Portlanders," Wheeler said in an Aug. 23 statement.

But reaction from lawmakers and the public appeared to give Wheeler second thoughts about the approach.

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Past riots and protests that have resulted in injuries and property destruction have made the city open to trying new plans for dealing with such clashes, the mayor said.

"Portland is unique in that we seem to be ground zero for alt-right groups to come into our town because they know they’ll get a response – and they do," Wheeler said.

The mayor’s remarks came in advance of a city council vote on a $50,000 settlement relating to a woman’s claim that she had been injured at an Aug. 4 protest when police hurled a flash-bang munition at her with no warning, the AP reported. The council approved the settlement in a unanimous vote, the report said.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Dom Calicchio is a Senior Editor at FoxNews.com. Reach him at dom.calicchio@foxnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @DomCalicchioFOX

[nw_hunter]

Portland is a typical city ran by liberals. The press mentions 9 shootings in 16 hrs in Portland. What they fail to mention (Intentionally) is nearly all are Black on Black shootings. They also call these gun crimes. We all know guns don't have the ability to cause crime. People do, and the majority of people who commit them in Liberal ran cities Like Chicago and now Portland are Blacks. Even though the population of Blacks in Portland is 5.8%, they are 12 times more likely to commit homicide. Put another way Black Portlanders were killed at about seven times their share of the city’s population—and 12 times the rate of white people. Facts do not lie, but Liberals do......And often.

[Mule 11]

Portland is a typical city ran by liberals. The press mentions 9 shootings in 16 hrs in Portland. What they fail to mention (Intentionally) is nearly all are Black on Black shootings. They also call these gun crimes. We all know guns don't have the ability to cause crime. People do, and the majority of people who commit them in Liberal ran cities Like Chicago and now Portland are Blacks. Even though the population of Blacks in Portland is 5.8%, they are 12 times more likely to commit homicide. Put another way Black Portlanders were killed at about seven times their share of the city’s population—and 12 times the rate of white people. Facts do not lie, but Liberals do......And often.

I don’t expect your honest opinion to be shared on the main stream news. I agree with your account. Why do people tip toe around truth. Because they are afraid.