"The actions of these Memphis Police officers is shocking and unconscionable. I want to send my prayers and support to the family of Tyre Nichols.
"When excessive acts of force such as this occur, it deeply impacts all of us who wear a badge. It is heartbreaking and truly a failure of humanity. It angers all of us at the Portland Police Bureau to think that law enforcement officers would violate the oath we swear to protect and values we personally hold dear.
"I commend Memphis Police Chief Davis for her swift and decisive action in this case.
"We know this atrocious act will breed further distrust and anger toward law enforcement. We understand these feelings, but we are asking our community to honor the wishes of Mr. Nichols' family who have asked people to protest peacefully.
"At PPB, we want to focus on how we serve our community. The Portland Police Bureau has spent more than 10 years making positive reforms, investing in training and revamping our policies. We recently completed ABLE training—Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement. ABLE trains officers on how to intervene as well as skills and tools to identify potential warning signs. It also trains on how to be proactive in identifying certain conduct before it escalates. We have worked hard to build our Equity and Inclusion Plan, community advisory groups and community engagement. Our pledge to our community is to continue this work and to serve and protect with a servant's heart—which means professionalism, compassion and integrity."
Photo Description: Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell stands at todays' news conference with Mayor Ted Wheeler, NAACP Portland President James Posey and former State Senator Margaret Carter to denounce the events that led to the death of Tyre Nichols
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