The city of Portland, Oregon, was at the forefront of the Black Lives Matter protests that rocked the whole country in 2020. As the people of Oregon have come to expect, the police used disproportionate force to quell the protests. The Portland Police Bureau recorded 6,000 uses of force during the 2020 protests, a number qualified as ‘abnormally high’ by the US Department of Justice. By contrast, only around 100 civil complaints of police brutality were filed after the Portland protests. People are afraid to stand up for their rights although all you need is to find a seasoned Portland police brutality lawyer to take charge of your case.Portland police is known for its excessive use of force and has been under the supervision of the DOJ for many years, well before the BLM protests. Federal authorities are pushing for police reforms in Oregon, but those will take years to implement. The only way to put pressure on the local police is for people to fight back, not in the street, but in a court of law.  Oregon police brutality lawyer can help with all sorts of police misconduct, from excessive use of force to racial profiling or illegal searches and seizures. You need someone with a good understanding of laws or procedures. For instance, did you know that you only have 90 days to file a complaint against the Portland PD? That’s because it’s a governmental institution and different statutes of limitation apply. On the other hand, you can file a civil complaint against police officers even after a few years. However, experienced police brutality lawyers advise that you do so within one year to maximize your chances of success. As a civilian you can file a complaint asking for damages for the injuries you sustained during a police action. It is up to the District Attorney’s office to press criminal charges against law enforcement agents who use excessive force in the course of their duty.

An alleged Antifa supporter in Portland, OR. Image via Wikimedia Commons via Flickr/user: Old White Truck. (CCA-BY-2.0).

Or you can take your case to federal level using the services of a skilled lawyer.That’s what one nurse volunteering to treat the Portland protesters did. Tyler Cox was severely beaten by Portland police. He sustained a traumatic brain injury and has post-concussion syndrome. Footage of the moment he was assaulted by a police agent went viral, but the Oregon District Attorney recently announced that the officer involved will not face criminal charges. There’s little hope he can win the case in Oregon, which is why he filed a federal complaint.What type of damages can you recover if you were a victim of police brutality?According to the law, you can seek economic damages to cover your medical bills and your rehabilitation programs. Also, you can be compensated for lost wages for the duration of your recovery. If you were left with a permanent disability you can also recover damages for lost future earnings. At the same time, you can claim non-economic damages for your pain and suffering. If you were assaulted in a particularly brutal way, you can also claim punitive damages.