A seemingly innocuous case against a Portland police sergeant may set a new precedent for how far the county’s top lawyer will go to protect cops—and how little the citizen-led police oversight board can do about it.

When a Portlander brings a potentially criminal complaint against an officer, it’s Portland Police Bureau (PPB) procedure to call for two investigations: one conducted by PPB or city staff to find if the officer violated workplace rules, and another conducted by the Multnomah County District Attorney’s office to decide if the officer broke any laws.