Portland mayor calls for investigation following texts between Patriot Prayer leader and police
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler plans to open an independent investigation into the Portland Police Bureau, after hundreds of text messages between a police lieutenant and a right-wing organizer were made public.
Last week, Willamette Week reported on the text messages exchanged between Lt. Jeffrey Niiya and Joey Gibson, the founder of Vancouver, Washington-based conservative group Patriot Prayer. Police ultimately released text message transcripts between the two which had been sent between May 2017 and October 2018.
"Community members have long expressed concerns about police bias during demonstrations," Wheeler said in a statement before he announced the investigation. "Incidents like this contribute to the distrust that so many people have about the Portland Police Bureau."
The text messages suggest a friendly relationship between Gibson and Niiya, a commanding officer for the bureau's Rapid Response Team, which deals with protests in the city. Niiya and Gibson exchange pleasantries and jokes, as well as rally plans and security arrangements.
https://www.seattlepi.com/seattlenews/article/Portland-mayor-patriot-prayer-police-officer-text-13623731.php?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=dailynewsletterspi&utm_term=spi