Mayor and Police Chief Address Officer-Involved Shootings

Police Chief Mike Reese told reporters this afternoon that Portland had experienced "too many" officer-involved shootings in recent weeks but that even one would be "unacceptable" in his view.

And though Portland historically has had far fewer officer-involved shootings than other similar-sized cities, Reese and Mayor Sam Adams said at today's press conference they would commit to an outside review of the police bureau's tactical training.

"Our training is exceptionally good," Reese said, "but as the mayor said we're going to continuously improve it."

Today's City Hall press conference came in response to the recent spate of officer-involved shootings in Portland.

Adams on several occasions shifted the focus of the press conference to looming budget cuts in Salem. The fraying social safety net contributes to officer-involved shootings, he suggested.