Portland's embattled white police chief stood down so that a Black man could replace her

• Portland's white chief of police has stepped down to allow a Black officer to lead, according to the Associated Press (AP).
• Portland police have come under criticism for their response to George Floyd protests. Oregon's ACLU described officers' actions as "excessively violent."
• Jami Resch, the outgoing chief, said her replacement Chuck Lovell is "the exact right person at the exact right moment," according to USA Today.

Portland's chief of police, a white woman, stood down from her role and handed over to a Black colleague, according to the Associated Press (AP).

Former police chief Jami Resch, who had been in her role for six months, announced at a press conference Monday that Lieutenant Chuck Lovell would run the department instead.

Resch said that Lovell is "the exact right person at the exact right moment," according to USA Today.

In a tweet she said "I have listened" and that her decision to resign "comes from my heart."

Resch replaced Danielle Outlaw, Portland's first African American female police chief, in January, according to the AP. Outlaw is now police commissioner in Philadelphia.

The change followed sharp criticism of the department for its harsh response to anti-racism protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd.

Lovell, who has 18 years of policing experience, said: "I am going to show up every day with a servant's heart ... I'm going to listen, I'm going to care about the community, and I'm going to care about the people in the organisation."

African American supporters at the news conference applauded the move, according to local paper The Oregonian.

Portland police had been criticized by the city mayor and civil rights organization the ACLU for its handling of recent protests.

Mayor Ted Wheeler had instructed police to stop using sound-based crowd control weapons at protests, USA Today reported. According to the outlet, he later told police to only use tear gas in extreme circumstances.

The ACLU of Oregon said in a statement on Sunday that the police response to the protests was "excessively violent and dangerous."

"The role of police is to facilitate, not disperse, peaceful protest," said the statement. "But in Portland for the last several years, the police consistently approach people gathered to protest against the police and white supremacy with intimidation and excessive force."