AURORA, CO – While many across the country enjoyed a safe Fourth of July weekend, some cities were rife with variations of civil unrest, protests, and the criminal activities that often accompany the aforementioned.
On the evening of July 3rd in Aurora, a group of miscreants were said to have forcibly trapped police officers inside of a police station by using chains to lock the doors from the outside.
Aurora police trapped inside District 1 for nearly 7 hours during protests last Friday “We found gas cans, full of gasoline that were staged in that immediate area.”https://t.co/RSjPgsglVf
— Pavulous (@pavulous) July 8, 2020
While many protests around the country have focused on the death of George Floyd, Floyd’s death has also injected vigor into protests related to nearly all suspects who have died in relation to some sort of police interaction.
The protest that took place on July 3rd outside of the District 1 police station near Montview and Wheeling was said to have been pertaining to the death of Elijah McClain back in August of 2019.
Like the numerous other protests about suspect-involved deaths, this was a case where investigators saw no culpability with officers who detained McClain last year when medical examiners determined McClain passed away from cardiac arrest after a paramedic administered ketamine as a sedative.
On the eve of the Fourth of July, police officers were said to have been trapped for about seven hours after protesters decided to imprison police inside of their own precinct.
Aurora Police Department spokesperson Matthew Longshore spoke about the riotous acts:
“The unfortunate part is they trapped our officers inside, not just them being around the building, but physically wrapping ropes and other items around the doors of the district one station, around the entry exit gates our patrol cars come out of…that was probably the most dangerous part.”
Department officials wouldn’t confirm the exact number of officers that were held captive within District 1. However, sources say that officers were able to be freed from the police station at around 3:30 a.m. on July 4th after the multi-hour detainment.
According to Longshore, there wasn’t any urgency to free the officers from the station, citing that they wanted to allow protesters to voice their opinions:
“There wasn’t a rush to come in move people out. The officers were safe inside. We wanted to give the people the ability to express their First Amendment right, to protest, peacefully assemble and make their voices heard, so we didn’t have an immediate rush to go in and clear people out. Waiting a little bit longer, the crowd size became smaller, so we had an advantage.”
While officers were said to have been relatively safe while confined inside of the station, criminal activity was said to be rife within the demonstration outside of the station. Longshore noted the weapons and materials used within the area while officers worked to clear out the demonstrators:
“We found gas cans, full of gasoline that were staged in that immediate area.”
Aurora Colorado Precinct 1 locked down for 7 hours by protestors,
“Aurora police trapped inside District 1 for nearly 7 hours during protests last Friday”
by: Jenna Carroll Posted: Jul 6, 2020 / 06:02 PM MDT / Updated: Jul 6, 2020 / 06:02 PM MDThttps://t.co/1KaFUrOB1i— Harlan Colburn (@HarlanColburn) July 8, 2020
The presence of gas was particularly concerning since there were fireworks being directed at officers outside the precinct during the evening. Longshore delved into further detail about the aggressive tactics and stances presented by the rioters:
“Not only that, someone had a fire extinguisher, they were spraying our officers with a fire extinguisher. We didn’t use any force until they started doing it to us, that’s when we used 40 millimeter foam rounds, no pepper spray or tear gas or smoke.”
Completely indefensible that your leaders allowed police to be trapped in their station…the county sheriff should have drive the protestors out…locking people in a building is NOT protected speech!!!!!!
— Sharon DiPiazza (@sissyd) July 11, 2020
Reportedly, two people were arrested for actions attributed to the criminal activity that took place during the evening of July 3rd, but there were no serious injuries reported. While Longshore respects the right to protest, he noted that the violence will not be tolerated:
“Come get your message across. That’s great, but to put officers’ lives at risk or the community’s lives at risk because we can’t respond because we are trapped inside of a building, that’s not right.”
Portland PD sure can relate. Last week, they put out a call asking for helping in finding a criminal.
In the late-night hours of June 25th, rioters set the Portland Police North Precinct on fire, while people were inside.
They did not stop there. The group went on to set other businesses on fire and loot them, businesses mainly owned by minorities in the area.
Police are seeking in help in finding those responsible and have given photographs to the media in hopes that someone turns them in.
Portland Police and Crime Stoppers are offering a $2,500 reward for any information leading to the arrest of the male pictured below, provided by the Portland Police Bureau to local news outlets.
Portland Police did not identify the man seen in the photographs. However, they have advised the male pictured was involved with the group of people responsible for the arson.
The incident in question started around 10PM, a crowd of people still upset over the George Floyd murder left Fernhill Park and descended on the Portland Police Bureau’s North Precinct at Emerson and Martin Luther King Blvd.
Police report that this group of people then attempted to force their way into the police station. When these efforts failed, they placed objects in front of the doors to trap the people inside the station.
Officers who were on scene were pelted with paint balls, glass bottles, and fireworks.
As the crowd got out of control, police alerted everyone on the scene that they had determined the group to be an unlawful assembly around 1 a.m. Officers worked to clear the crowd, despite being attacked by the rioters who fought back at their efforts.
Someone in the crowd fired a mortar which landed on the roof of the police station. Shortly afterward, at approximately 2:15 a.m., reports of the north side of the station being on fire came in.
As officers began firing less lethal chemical agents into the crowd, parts of the group began setting other businesses on fire and looting them. Reports from the police are that the majority of those businesses were owned by minorities within the community.
The crowd was mainly dispersed by 3 a.m. In all, the nights chaos left one officer seriously wounded and several others with minor wounds. Thankfully, all of the injured officers are expected to fully recover.
Portland Police and local leaders joined together to denounce the riots in the area that night. Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell issued a statement in which he said:
“The acts that took place here last night are not only reprehensible, but they are evil. There are people inside these buildings we are trying to protect. It needs to stop and stop today.”
Pastor Steven Hold said:
“We’ve got to call terrorism terrorism. A distraction from owning the systemic racism that’s brought the community to this point.”
Self Enhancement, Inc. President and CEO Tony Hopson said:
“Whoever was behind this that [thinks] they were doing it, or perhaps are trying to have us think that they are doing it, in the name of Black Lives Matter we know that it was just the opposite. Not only is it not about Black Lives Matter, it’s against Black Lives Matter! Don’t allow ourselves to get distracted. I’m upset [we’re] even here and have to put this kind of attention on them.”
Protests and riots have been occurring throughout the nation since the death of George Floyd. Often times, there are several peaceful protests that do not lead to violence, however, there are some of these that do turn violent.
More often than not, there is little condemnation from democrats and members of Black Lives Matter when these protests turn into riots. Perhaps they have started to realize that these ‘peaceful protests’ are harming just as many if not more minorities and it needs to stop.
Nightly, we see the updates from the Portland Police Bureau on Twitter saying that the “assembly” in now unlawful. They spell out exactly what these rioters are doing in their tweets- for example, throwing projectiles and bottles of urine at officers, starting fires, vandalizing and looting.
On social media, police higher-ups are tweeting that the gathering is being considered an unlawful assembly and telling people they need to leave. They’re announcing the same on loud speakers in the streets.
While Portland slowly burns, Mayor Ted Wheeler and Oregon Governor Kate Brown issue tepid calls for peace while enabling the domestic terrorists by handcuffing the police in their efforts to get control of the situation. https://t.co/ZAU7Jt42Gb pic.twitter.com/o6Db0wsw5n
— TheNewAmerican (@NewAmericanMag) July 6, 2020
And yet, many nights, they seemingly do nothing about it when protesters linger and continue to terrorize the city.
Why is that? Well, like those other big cities, city officials have banned their police from being police. They simply stand by watching everything happen. Watching their beautiful city get destroyed.
Finally, after almost 40 nights of the lawlessness and destruction, the PPB union president, Daryl Turner, has had enough.
“Cycle of violence” is @OregonGovBrown equating police enforcing the law with Antifa terrorists and BLM agitators breaking the law…and indicts police actions for inciting violence. There is no moral equivalence between rioting and enforcing the law https://t.co/1dnpMtGzkQ
— Lars Larson (@LarsLarsonShow) July 5, 2020
Turner, speaking for the Portland Police Association, issued a statement, which read, in part:
“As riots continue, it is obvious to everyone that this is no longer about George Floyd, social justice, or police reform.
“This is about a group of individuals intent on causing injury, chaos and destruction by rioting, looting, starting fires, throwing rocks, bottles, mortars, urine, and feces at peaceful protesters, as well as the police.”
“What angers me and the good people of Portland, even more, is that elected officials at the state and local levels are
defending these criminal actions…”The president of the Portland police union hits back at rioters & politicians in a strongly-worded statement: pic.twitter.com/qBywJg0bUs
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) July 6, 2020
Turner also spoke of the need for elected officials to speak out against the lawlessness.
Turner continued:
“What angers me and the good people of Portland, even more, is that elected officials at the state and local levels are defending these criminal actions while in the same breath demonizing and vilifying the officers on the front lines protecting our communities, our safety, our livelihood, and our rights.
“Police are defending the property of business owners whose livelihoods are at stake while these criminals loot and burn their businesses. Police are defending government buildings that will be the meeting places where reforms at all levels of government will take place. Police are defending those who want to express their voices without violence.
“It is time for our elected officials to stand up and defend Portland. Condemn the violence and the burning, looting, and destruction of property.
“Trust and support the decisions made by law enforcement leaders who simply want to keep the residents, business owners, and peaceful protestors safe. Understand that it is a sign of strength, not weakness, to support the rank-and-file officers who are out on the front lines being assaulted, taking verbal and physical abuse, and working endless hours without rest.
Portland Police Officers have spent night after night out on the front lines, getting attacked both physically and verbally. Meanwhile, their politicians stand ready to condemn them for almost literally every action taken.
From Governor Kate Brown to Mayor Ted Wheeler and even to city council members, police, to them, appear to be the devil incarnate.
Brown said that police response to the rioters have gone to far. This, after police used tear gas and arrested several protesters who refused to disperse. Again, this is following several warnings via loud speaker and social media (because we all know everyone there is live-tweeting just praying to see an officer cuss at them so they can be the next social media sensation).
Brown laid it on police to “deescalate” the riots, but apparently wants them to snuggle them to sleep while singing them lullabies to make that happen.
On June 30, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown signed into law a bill that bans tear gas except in situations police declare to be a riot.
Hours later, Portland police officers declared a riot—and deployed tear gas onto protesters. https://t.co/7ALZclhlZ0
— Willamette Week (@wweek) July 2, 2020
She said:
“Use of force, regardless of its legal justification, will do nothing to solve the underlying concerns of racial justice and police accountability raised by the protests.”
Perhaps not. But it sure does a hell of a lot to solve the underlying concerns of rioters completely destroying the city and making it unsafe for normal people to be out and about.
Brown also said:
“[A group has] repeatedly taken to the streets with the intent to destroy property. This group has repeatedly lit fires, thrown rocks, bottles, fireworks and other objects and have put the safety of others at risk.”
Even so, she wants them coddled into complacency:
“We can do better, we must do better, to heal the divisions in our community. We have a duty to keep the peace, not escalate confrontation.”
Meanwhile, Mayor Ted Wheeler is continuing his regularly scheduled program of pandering and calling for “a full and thorough review of all use of force tactics and meaningful public transparency.”
This weekend, join me in calling for an end to violence so we can begin to rebuild and do the work of police reform this movement demands. I am keenly aware of concerns about police actions related to demonstration activity.
— Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) July 3, 2020
This was followed by:
“And I am asking for the public’s support in calling for an end to the nightly violence. Join us in our call for peace. Lives are at stake.”
Yes. Police lives are at stake as you continue to allow attacks on police to go unchecked and without consequences.
Following the use of tear gas against those who refused to disburse from an unlawful assembly, Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek sent a letter to Wheeler.
With all of her policing experience, she was able to determine that the “police actions did not seem warranted.”
In fact, she said:
“The actions by police officers last night in North Portland were completely unacceptable.
“Instead of managing the situation, they created an unsafe situation and a public health hazard with their use of CS gas, in a residential area (and near several gas stations, I might add). It was an unnecessary escalation by the PPB against people excercising their freedom of assembly and freedom of speech.
Oregon House Speaker Tina Kotek very upset w/ Portland police & Mayor Ted Wheeler: ‘There was no risk to the public or officers’ until police used CS gas. ‘What needed to be protected ? An empty office building? Was this need more important than health of neighbors & children?’ https://t.co/9BElVK87pS
— Oregonian Politics (@OregonianPol) July 1, 2020
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