DOJ rejects Portland mayor request to end federal deputation of police officers

The Justice Department has rejected a request from Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler to end to the federal program that deputized of dozens of police officers in the U. S. Marshals who are part of the city's response to ongoing protests.

"The U. S. Marshal will not cancel the cross-deputation of local and state law enforcement officers," read a joint statement from Billy Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, and district U.S. Marshal Russ Burger, the U.S. Marshall for the district. "Law enforcement and law-abiding citizens of Portland have endured months of nightly criminal violence and destruction. "Law enforcement and law-abiding citizens of Portland have endured months of nightly criminal violence and destruction. "

The statement added that the deputation of Oregon State Police, Multnomah County Sheriff and Portland Police Bureau serves as a deterrence for those looking to commit criminal acts amid more than 100 consecutive nights of protests in the city that have routinely turned violent.

On Tuesday, Wheeler said he asked the U. S. Attorney's Office to end the deputation of 56 Portland police officers in the Police Bureau's Rapid Response Team. The program that deputized the officers as federal marshals is expected to run through the end of this year.

However, city officials were under the impression the special status would end Sunday, according to an email from Portland city attorney Tracy Reeve to the U. S. Attorney's Office. In a statement to Fox News, Wheeler said he asked the "U.S. Attorney’s office to withdraw the designation."

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