Portland Police union head rejects Oregon Dem governor candidate's claim to support police

Portland Police Association President Sgt. Aaron Schmautz on Thursday disputed claims Oregon Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tina Kotek made in the Wednesday night debate about her support for law enforcement.

Kotek appeared in a three-way debate alongside Republican rival Christine Drazan and independent candidate Betsy Johnson. During an exchange on policing, Kotek drew flak from Johnson and Drazan about her "Defund the Police" positions and support for rioters during the 2020 riots in the state.

The Democrat rejected those assertions, saying "I've always supported our state police," which Schmautz told Fox News is "simply not true."

"On one such occasion, [Kotek] responded that the police response to an overt attempt to burn down a building – that was adjacent to multiple businesses and houses – was 'just an empty building,' and that the force used to defend that building was inappropriate," Schmautz said, per the outlet. "I think that just demonstrated a lack of focus. And it demonstrated a lack of support for law enforcement." 

"I do not believe that there is anything on the record that would suggest a temperate approach or support for law enforcement in rural, urban, or suburban areas, or big cities or anything else," he continued. "The demonstrated record is just a kind of whipsaw reaction to incidents as opposed to a thoughtful approach."

Portland faced months of riots following the death of George Floyd. The city suffered mass lootings and acts of arson, with rioters attempting repeatedly to deface the federal courthouse in the city.