Federal officers allegedly misused force 37 times in Portland

By the numbers: Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, and Physicians for Human Rights documented 412 incidents in which federal and local law enforcement misused crowd-control weapons between June 2025 and May of this year.

• 47 of those incidents occurred in Oregon, per the report, with 37 in Portland and 10 in Eugene.
• In Portland, most incidents (54%) involved chemical irritants like tear gas.

Context: Researchers defined "misuse" as "outside of the rules governing how crowd-control weapons should be used" according to standards from weapons manufacturers, law enforcement organizations and use-of-force policies.

What they're saying: Despite widespread reports of injuries, before the report "there really wasn't any systematic documentation occurring," Payal Shah, director of research at Physicians for Human Rights, told OPB.

The other side: Department of Homeland Security officers "take every reasonable precaution to mitigate dangers to those exercising their protected First Amendment rights," a spokesperson told OPB.

• "The pattern is NOT of law enforcement using force," the DHS spokesperson said. "It's a pattern of violent agitators attacking our law enforcement."

What's next: Tear gas use in Portland spurred two lawsuits from demonstrators, journalists and nearby residents.

• The 9th Circuit heard arguments this month and could issue a ruling any day.