PORTLAND, OR – Authorities have reported that
during a riot in Southeast Portland that began on Saturday night,
September 5th, firebombs, mortars, rocks, and other harmful objects
were thrown at officers.
Again.
Fire bombs were thrown at
officers, injuring at least one community member. Police are trying
to restore peace and order for the safety of this neighborhood.
https://t.co/V3UOCR6Bc4— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice)
September 6, 2020
Police said that
hundreds of people gathered at Ventura Park around 7 p.m. on
what would be the 100th night straight of protests in the city of
Portland. Within two hours, shortly after 9 p.m., when Molotov
cocktails where thrown at officers, law enforcement authorities
declared the large gathering a riot.
According to authorities, rioters marched toward the East
Portland Community Policing Center, which is an active police
station adjacent to townhouses and is across the street from a
school and community center. Not to mention, the same area has
already been a target of violence during past demonstrations.
Press Release: Rocks Thrown at
Officers Prompt Unlawful Assembly, Arrests Made (Photo)
Link: https://t.co/Df2j5YAXDR
pic.twitter.com/z3acv9D20Q— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice)
September 5, 2020
Police reported that many individuals in the large crowd were
carrying large shields and dressed in protective gear including
helmets, gas masks, and body armor.
The Portland Police Bureau said in a statement:
“It was clear that the intent of the crowd was not a
peaceful protest.â€
Authorities said that around 9:15 p.m., firebombs were first
thrown at police. Due to the violence of others, one person
subsequently caught on fire. They were treated on scene by Portland
Fire & Rescue medic before being taken to the hospital for
further evaluation.
Prior to fire and rescue’s arrival, police assisted the rioter
in putting the fire out, despite his being there to riot against
the police.
Press Release: Fires Started,
Prompt Arrests During Protest (Photo)
Link: https://t.co/bDFIsnEwaX
pic.twitter.com/6XgJL5ZCPw— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice)
September 7, 2020
As the crowd grew larger and more violent, police used a
loudspeaker to tell the protesters that the demonstration had been
declared a riot and that they were to leave the area immediately.
Police reported that fires were being set in the street, including
dumpsters, garbage cans, and wooden pallets.
Police are making repeated
announcements. This remains a riot. Members of the group have
thrown Molotov cocktails injuring at least one community member.
Failure to disperse may result in arrest citation crowd control
agents including tear gas and/or impact weapons.— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice)
September 6, 2020
Police reported that a sergeant was hit with a commercial grade
firework, which burned through his glove and his hand. Several
officers and state troopers were hit by rocks and an Oregon State
Police vehicle was damaged by rocks, including smashed windows.
Press Release: UPDATE: 59
Arrested During Riot (Photo)
Link: https://t.co/9nUlbzs7ut
pic.twitter.com/4IIVyE3iPq— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice)
September 6, 2020
Police also recovered an “unexploded†mortar. The Portland
Police Bureau stated that the criminal activity happening presented
an extreme danger to life safety for all community members. The
crowd was warned through the loudspeaker that failure to adhere to
the order to leave the area immediately may subject them to arrest,
citation, or crowd control agents.
The crowd control agents included, but were not limited to tear
gas and/or impact weapons. Individuals in the crowd did not listen
and instead continued to throw harmful objects at the officers.
Police reported that at least one individual had a
“wrist-rocket†type of slingshot launching unknown objects.
Press Release: Fire Bombs,
Rocks, and Mortars Thrown at Officers During Riot (Photo)
Link: https://t.co/qdDnzPXJS6
pic.twitter.com/pspHK2BP1j— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice)
September 6, 2020
In order to protect themselves from the assaults, officers used
crowd control munitions, including tear gas. Officers made more
than 50 arrests that night. Police reported that one had a dagger
and one had a knife. In a
news release, the names and charges of those arrested are
listed.
Authorities reported that a 2 a.m., there were 150 calls for
service pending in the city of Portland because officers and state
troopers had been pulled from their regular posts and patrol to
assist with the riot.
During the riot and numerous confrontations with officers,
several officers and troopers were struck by rocks in the head,
arms, shoulders, and feet. Only their protective gear prevented
serious injuries.
It’s too bad their scumbag
district attorney, Mike Schmidt, is just going to release the
terrorists without charges.Like a politician who has been paid off by the mafia, he’s
going to roll over and let them get away with whatever they
want.He is complicit in their murders.
— Brigham Rockwell (@BrighamRockwell)
September 7, 2020
Oregon Live
reported that Portland police arrested 59 in all between
Saturday night, September 5th and Sunday morning, September 6th,
which is by far the most arrests from a single protest since the
protests began 101 days ago.
Allegedly, the arrests were mostly for low-level misdemeanors as
well as the felony charge of a riot. It is no surprise at all that
Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt has already said
that he plans to “dismiss†charges for the riot and many of the
common misdemeanors if they do not involve “deliberateâ€
property damage, theft or force against another person or threats
of force.
‘Multnomah County [Portland] District Attorney Mike Schmidt has said that he will dismiss
charges for riot and many common misdemeanors if they don’t
involve “deliberate’’ property damage, theft or force against
another person or threats of force.’ https://t.co/3J8hmKZuqM— The Drug War (@The_Drug_War)
September 7, 2020
Police Chief Chuck Lovell maintains that his officers make good
arrests and that the nightly protests attract a couple hundred
criminals. At the end of August, Governor Kate Brown announced a
sweeping plan to bring in multiple local and state law
enforcement agencies to help quell vandalism and violence during
the protests.
Governor Kate Brown Lied to
the State of Oregon and more importantly, Portland. She said She
was sending the Sherrif’s Department from several Cities in support
of Portland Police but She never told them and they are saying they
ain’t coming.— Badd Company (@BaddCompani)
September 1, 2020
Brown said she also planned to secure an agreement from police
and sheriff’s agencies from surrounding cities and counties to
assist. However, mayor Brown’s plan might not go as she exactly
hoped for, because Washington and Clackamas counties’ sheriffs
along with the statewide police chief and sheriff coalition
released statements saying they refuse to lend front-line policing
to Portland. The same is true of nearby Washington State agencies,
Vancouver Police Department and Clark County Sheriff’s Office,
who regularly provide mutual aid to the city.
Why?
Oregon Sheriffs Reject Gov.
Kate Brown‘s Request to Assist Portland https://t.co/cThJAihpQISo glad to hear honest information provided by Oregon
sheriff….Thanks Sheriff. Hope the governor listened!— Nokie (@NolanHenderson9)
September 2, 2020
Because of the condemnation of police violence from some of the
elected leaders and the fact that Attorney Schmidt continually
refuses to prosecute protesters charged with low-level crimes.
Washington County Sheriff Pat Garrett said in a statement:
“The lack of political support for public safety, the
uncertain legal landscape, the current volatility combined with
intense scrutiny on use of force presents an unacceptable risk if
deputies were deployed directly.â€
“A, we don’t need the
national guard at this time and, B, that they are not trained for
this work.â€#Oregon‘s
Gov. Kate Brown said she hasn’t sent the
#NationalGuard to
#Portland because she believes they’re not trained for the
job or needed. https://t.co/PYigPOKR0g— The Epoch Times (@EpochTimes)
September 6, 2020
Here’s more on neighboring agencies refusing to help Portland
during their riots.
Surrounding law enforcement agencies near Portland, Oregon have
been distancing themselves from the city when it comes to
sending officers from their respective departments to assist
Portland Police with the ongoing riots.
Agencies like the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office, the
Gresham Police Department and the Washington County Sheriff’s
Office have recently vocalized that they’re not intending to send
officers directly into Portland after Oregon Governor Kate Brown
requested said resources.
However, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and Washington
state’s Vancouver Police Department
withdrew resources back in June of this year already, after
having previously sent deputies and officers to Portland.
Furthermore, both agencies said that they’ll not be sending any
resources for a variety of reasons.
Vancouver police, Clark County
Sheriff’s Office not sending officers to Portland – https://t.co/6BXKdOUmet— The Columbian (@thecolumbian)
September 3, 2020
Clark County Sheriff Chuck Atkins noted how when the protests
and riots were happening early on in Portland, he accommodated a
verbal request from Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office to send
over some deputies to help officers on the ground.
Yet, after less than a week, Sheriff Atkins said he stopped
sending over deputies:
“After the five days, we chose not to go back anymore
because we didn’t have anything officially from
them.â€
But it wasn’t just because the sheriff didn’t get any formal
written request from the Portland mayor that led him to withdrawing
support – there was also concerns about liability issues and the
fact that Clark County taxpayers would be footing the bill for
resources deployed to riots in Multnomah County:
“Even at that point early on, it was obvious that it
was going to be a significant expense to Clark County
taxpayers.â€
Sheriff Atkins did point out that if there was a situation that
was beyond a riot, for instance a “massive shooter†situation,
he said that resources would be deployed immediately.
However, when it comes to riots that the city hasn’t properly
addressed, he said that deputies will not be getting sent:
“I’m not going to go to a planned protest event that
is 90-some days going when actions aren’t being taken against the
aggressors who are being arrested. I’m not putting my people in
harm’s way, and I can’t put citizens of Clark County in a
financial situation, without some sort of agreement with the city
of Portland.â€
Also, sources have told Law Enforcement Today that one Clark
County deputy was injured during the riots in Portland and is said
to be seeking legal recourse.
Washington state’s Vancouver Police Department mirrored those
very sentiments.
Public Information Coordinator Kim Kapp stated that officers had
been sent to Portland 11 different times, with the final instance
happening on June 16th.
Vancouver PD told us it would
be too dangerous and impractical to support Portland’s protests
given the “lack of legal consequence for people being arrested on a
nightly basis.”https://t.co/hiz0DuRtxb— KATU News (@KATUNews)
September 4, 2020
Kapp addressed three key factors as to why the VPD will no
longer be sending over officers.
Namely, those factors are liability issues, officer safety and
that Portland officials haven’t done much in way of prosecuting
the rioters arrested:
“The danger to our personnel, the associated liability
combined with the apparent lack of legal consequence for people
being arrested on a nightly basis make it impractical for us to
send any of our personnel to Portland at this time to assist with
protests or crowd management.â€
Kapp’s statement noted that they too wouldn’t be against
possibly helping Portland Police with other situations, as long as
that situation isn’t the current protests and riots:
“Any requests for assistance from any of our regional
partners will be evaluated based on our staffing needs as well as
the type of assistance being requested. The Vancouver Police
Department has no current or future plans to send our personnel to
Portland to assist with the nightly protesting that is occurring
there.â€
Just recently, the Oregon Association Chiefs of Police and
Oregon State Sheriff’s Association
issued a statement on Governor Brown’s call for outside
agencies to assist the PPB in the riots as well:
“Unfortunately, due to the lack of support for public
safety operations, the associated liability to agencies who would
be assisting in Portland and the lack of accountability for those
arrested committing criminal acts, we cannot dedicate our limited
resources away from the communities we serve.â€
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown
announced a plan to ask neighboring law enforcement agencies to
help Portland police the nightly protests that have entered their
fourth month.The agencies responded yesterday: Thanks, but no thanks.
https://t.co/M6W5uCGOe8— OPB (@OPB)
September 1, 2020
It’s almost as though every entity that has denied Portland
officer resources for riot control were noting the same issues as
to why they don’t intend to assist in the riots.
And it seems that it all boils down to rioters getting any
real-time legal consequences and police not getting the needed
support to do their job efficiently.
Imagine that.
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The post
Portland: More than 50 arrested in 100th night of riots, officers
assaulted, firebombed – the DA says he will dismiss most
arrests appeared first on Law Enforcement
Today.
