“The Portland PD didn’t “struggle” to respond”
That was my first reaction, too.
Or “struggle” means their ranks have been cut by two thirds. Or it means the remaining cops asked themselves “what’s in it for me if I respond? Get attacked, get injured, get shot or get sued? Even if I lock them up, the National Lawyers Guild and the DA will let them out in an hour.”
The expression used to be “when seconds count, the police are minutes away.”
Now the expression is: “when seconds count, the police are no where to be found.”