WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 09th June, 2020) The police chief of in the US city of Portland, facing criticism for her department's handling of massive demonstrations following the May 25 killing of an unarmed black suspect in another US city, resigned and handed over duties to her African American deputy, the Oregonian newspaper reported on Monday.
Not yet six months into her job as chief, Jami Resch announced her resignation while requesting that her black lieutenant, Charlie Lovell, serve as the next police chief, the report said.
The city faced criticism over last week's handling of protests over the death of George Floyd while being arrested in the city of Minneapolis. One YouTube video showed a line of officers in Portland chanting "take your riot gear," when without warning, two officers deployed a metallic device that exploded filling the air with smoke, according to local television.
Resch said she was not resigning from the police force, but notified the mayor on Sunday that she was stepping down in favor of Lovell, whom she called� the right person for the job at the exact right moment, the Oregonian reported.
The newspaper quoted Mayor Ted Wheeler, who also serves as police commissioner, saying he was convinced Lovell was the right person for the job.
