PORTLAND, Ore. — The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office dismissed a fourth-degree assault charge against a Portland police officer accused of hitting a photographer in the head with a baton during the summer 2020 protests.
Officer Corey Budworth was assigned to the Portland Police Bureau's Rapid Response Team at the time of the alleged assault.
The charge, filed in June 2020, prompted the entire Rapid Response Team to resign.
In court documents filed Friday afternoon, Multnomah County Chief Deputy District Attorney Don Rees asked the judge to dismiss the single misdemeanor charge, explaining Budworth and the alleged victim engaged in “a restorative justice process.” No other details were provided in court documents.
A video shared on Twitter showed the officer, identified at the time only by a number on his helmet, running and hitting the back of a woman’s head with a baton near the Multnomah Building in Southeast Portland on August 18, 2020. Police had declared an unlawful assembly and ordered the crowd to disperse.
The video showed the officer knocking the woman down and striking her again on the head while she was down.
The alleged victim in the case, Teri Jacobs, is an independent photographer. Jacobs filed a civil rights lawsuit against the city of Portland stemming from the incident. The city agreed to pay her $50,000 to settle the case.
Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt was not available for comment on Friday afternoon. Budworth could not be reached.
This is a developing story and will be updated with more details as they emerge.
