During the Eugene City Council’s public meeting Monday night, residents packed in Eugene City Hall to demand the resignation of Eugene Police Chief Chris Skinner.
All council members and Mayor Kaarin Knudson were present during the meeting.
The Eugene branch of the Party for Socialism and Liberation posted on social media days before the meeting, asking members of the community to speak during public comment and demand Skinner’s resignation. On May 30, PSL also held a rally calling for the chief’s resignation.
The Eugene Police Department recently faced public scrutiny after body camera footage of former EPD officer Martin Siller was released by a community member. The footage captured Siller making racist and anti-immigrant remarks on the phone while he was on duty near the Eugene Federal Building during the Jan. 30 protest. Additional footage later released also captured comments on alleged incidents of domestic violence and abuse done by colleagues.
Siller resigned on May 9 after the footage was made public. Chief Skinner held a press conference on May 11 to condemn Siller, with Independent Police Auditor Craig Renetzky accompanying to discuss next steps. Renetzky said that he is unable to bring allegations of misconduct against the former officer because he is no longer an employee following his resignation.
Knudson and multiple council members condemned Siller and called for a better culture within EPD during a public meeting on April 13. Some public commentators took to the podium to tell personal stories of alleged inappropriate interactions with EPD officers.
Twenty-four people signed up to speak during the Monday night meeting’s public comment section.
“Martin Siller was a member of EPD for seven years, it is ridiculous to think that his fellow officers could have been unaware of his racist attitudes that whole time,” Robert Brock, one commentator, said. “And yet, after seven years it wasn’t anyone in EPD that got rid of him. He only resigned after a community member released Siller’s body cam footage to the public.”
Brock called on the city to “follow the recommendations of the ad hoc committee on police policy,” including the expansion of civilian oversight over EPD and making findings from the Civilian Review Board’s binding to increase accountability.
“EPD needs to be held accountable for the toxic culture within the department, and the buck stops with Chief Skinner,” Justin Filip, one commentator and the secretary of the Pacific Green Party, said. “While firing Chief Skinner won’t fix all the problems, the community needs to send a message that we will not tolerate a racist police force that has contempt for the public it serves.”
Another commentator, Travis Pendergrass, claimed that he previously warned past city officials about alleged misconduct within EPD for over 14 years.
“The citizens of Eugene have an obligation and every right to challenge Chief Skinner’s lack of leadership, his disrespect for the right to be free of abusive and unprofessional conduct by his personnel,” Pendergrass said. “The citizens of Eugene demand that you put a stop to this unacceptable police conduct.”
The next Eugene City Council meeting will be held on June 22.
