Police Union Candidate Predicts Opponent Will Win

Tomorrow is the day the Portland Police Association tallies the votes in a runoff election to pick its next president.

But one of the final two candidates to head the powerful union, Sgt. Doug Justus, is already predicting his opponent, Officer Daryl Turner, will be victorious.

"I think probably Daryl will win because the guys want an officer," Justus says. "They kind of like the fact that Daryl is a street cop, working the streets."

The past two union presidents, Robert King and Scott Westerman, both were sergeants. But several cops say there's another reason many of the union's 900 members voted for Turner — he'd be the union's first black president.

Distrust between many African-Americans in Portland and the cops is running high after this year's fatal police shootings of Aaron Campbell and Keaton Otis. Besides the fact Turner is a respected 19-year veteran, cops hope having a new face will help ease tensions with the community.

The results of the runoff are expected Wednesday afternoon.