The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General has opened an investigation into allegations that DOJ personnel have improperly used force in Portland, Ore.,…
The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General has opened an investigation into allegations that DOJ personnel have improperly used force in Portland, Ore., this month, as well as an inquiry into their role in responding to mass protests in Washington, D. C., since late May.
Inspector General Michael Horowitz announced the inquiry the day after Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler was tear-gassed by federal agents during a protest outside a federal courthouse Wednesday night.
At a broader level, the inspector general will review the way Justice personnel have been used to respond to protests and civil unrest in both Portland and Washington, D. C., over the past two months. The review will include agents’ use of force as well as tear gas and “less-lethal munitions” — a category that often includes items such as bean bag rounds and rubber bullets.
Portland and Washington are among several large cities where federal agents’ presence and aggressive tactics have stoked controversy. The mayors of at least five cities, including Portland and Washington, sent a letter to President Trump earlier this week asking him to withdraw the agents, saying they were inflaming tensions.
The agents’ deployment by the Trump administration has prompted criticisms from local and state leaders who say the move is motivated more by political goals than by a desire to preserve law and order.
