Portland police tear gas rioters attacking police station; 23 arrested
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Police in Portland used tear gas early Monday to scatter rioters who marched on a precinct station in another night of violence — hurling rocks, bottles, commercial-grade fireworks at officers and setting fires in the streets. Twenty three people were arrested, police said in a statement.
The protests have gripped Oregon’s largest city for months since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis and demonstrators in Portland Sunday night who marched to the precinct from a park chanted the name Jacob Blake.
Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers identified him as the Black man who was shot in the back by a police officer in the city of Kenosha on Sunday.
Some of the Portland protesters in a group of about 200 lit a dumpster on fire and used it as a shield as they approached the police precinct station, police said in a statement.
They threw things at officers, hitting some who were posted on the precinct station’s roof, and lit one of the building’s awnings on fire, the statement said. One officer suffered a wrist injury after he was hit with a piece of ceramic, the statement said.
The violence that started Sunday night and lasted into the predawn hours of Monday came a day after protesters targeted another law enforcement building in Portland.
The protesters apparently had plans Saturday night to march from a park to the building, news outlets reported. But a standoff between marchers and officers took place on a bridge along the way — and the demonstrators retreated.
Protesters appear to have returned to the park and then took cars to the building. Officers were then hit with rocks, bottles and other objects, police said.
That unrest followed rival protests Saturday afternoon in downtown Portland.
Federal authorities forced demonstrators away from a plaza near a federal building as dueling demonstrations by right-wing and left-wing protesters turned violent.
Portland Police Bureau news release:
UPDATE: Arrest Information After Riot at North Precinct
Portland Police Bureau - 08/24/20 6:02 AM
Twenty-three people were arrested during the riot at North Precinct. All were booked in the Multnomah County Detention Center on the listed charges.
Rader, Adam, 31, of Portland, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Riot
Stanger, Lisa, 44, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Resisting Arrest
Cleinman, Matthew, 36, unknown residence, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree, Criminal Trespass in the Second Degree
Archer, Elle, 24, of Portland, Riot, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Cable, Cameron, 30, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Millar-Griffin, Rhiannon, 22, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
McNaughton, Ryan, 19, unknown residence, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Weed, Hadley, 24, of Beaverton, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Ramos, Pedro, 20, of Hillsboro, Assaulting a Public Safety Officer, Riot, Interfering with a Peace Officer
Eperson, April, 36, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Rodriguez, Jasmine, 20, of Hillsboro, Assaulting a Public Safety Officer (2 counts), Interfering with a Peace Officer, Riot
Welch, Devin, 40, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Wesley, William, 36, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Mckenzie, Ryan, 44, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Hines, Griffin, 29, Riot, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Brooks, Hunter, 23, of Portland, Riot, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Gurney, Emma, 23, of Hillsboro, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
O'Connor, Michelle, 34, Attempted Assault in the Second Degree, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Grissom, Mackenzie, 32, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Riot
Conti, Dylan, 28, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Escape in the Third Degree
Gardner, Mark, 27, of Vancouver, Washington, Riot, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Gatchel, Andrew, 40, of Portland, Riot, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Sanders, Stephen, 39, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer
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Two North Precinct awnings were lit on fire, and officers were targeted by protesters with sharp chunks of ceramic, rocks, mortars, and powerful lasers during a riot Sunday evening into Monday morning.
A crowd gathered at Woodlawn Park at Northeast 13th Avenue and Northeast Dekum Street and began marching at 9:41 p.m. Most of the crowd, estimated at more than 200 people, wore armor, helmets, gas masks, all-black clothing and carried shields. They marched to North Precinct Community Policing Center at 449 Northeast Emerson Street. North Precinct has been the site of numerous violent protests, including multiple instances where protesters tried to set fire to the building with people working inside. In an effort to protect the building and give the officers protective space, Portland Police closed Northeast Emerson Street between Northeast Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard and Northeast 6th Avenue. Police vehicles were positioned across the road and lights were used to illuminate the street.
As the march arrived at North Precinct, Northeast Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard was blocked to vehicular traffic in both directions. Individuals in the crowd immediately lit a fire in a dumpster and pushed it into the intersection of Northeast Martin Luther King Junior Boulevard and Northeast Killingsworth Street. Individuals also took a flatbed trailer and rolled it to Northeast Emerson Street. They set up the trailer on its side as a shield. The burning dumpster was rolled to Northeast Emerson Street and was also moved to shield the protesters.
Almost immediately, from behind the shields and elsewhere, individuals began throwing chunks of ceramic, rocks, and glass bottles in the direction of the officers. Green lasers, which are capable of causing permanent eye damage, were shined at officers. At least one balloon filled with feces was thrown at officers on the roof of the building.
Due to the criminal activity, at 10:29 p.m., the gathering was declared an unlawful assembly. All participants were directed over loudspeaker to leave to the south. Failure to adhere to this direction may subject them to citation, arrest, and/or crowd control agents including, but not limited to, tear gas and impact weapons.
Officers stayed far back for the next half hour, giving participants ample time to leave voluntarily. Few took advantage of that opportunity.
A commercial grade firework was thrown. The police vehicles were struck by thrown bottles, paint bombs (photo), rocks, and heavy metal screws (photo). Marbles were launched by at least one wrist rocket style slingshot. Officers on the roof of the building were struck by rocks. Paint bombs were thrown. Signs were torn from the ground and thrown (photo).
At 11:08p.m., the event was deemed a riot. More direction was given over loudspeaker that the criminal activity has continued and that all persons must leave to the south. Failure to adhere to this direction may subject them to citation, arrest, and/or crowd control agents including, but not limited to, tear gas and impact weapons.
As officers were preparing to move the crowd, someone lit a canopy against the building on fire (photo). The fire began to burn to the siding of the building, so officers on the roof got a fire extinguisher to try and put it out. As they were putting out the fire, multiple people pelted the officers with rocks. A lieutenant was struck with a chunk of ceramic, causing a cut to his hand (photo). A second awning was also lit on fire close to a tree (photo). That caused damage before it was extinguished.
At about 11:30 p.m., due to the extreme threat to life safety and the aggression of the crowd, Portland Police deployed CS gas, then moved the crowd to the south. Arrests were made and crowd control munitions were used. Officers reported commercial grade fireworks were thrown from suspects with "press" markings. Officers pulled back but within minutes the crowd began to return. At 12:30 a.m., officers made another effort to move the riot away. More arrests were made. After officers disengaged again, rioters moved into the street again. A security guard in a car got stuck in the crowd. A car with a red cross taped to the hood, indicating it was an informal protest medic, moved ahead of the security guard and blocked him in. He was eventually allowed to turn around and leave.
At 1:17a.m., officers made a 3rd effort to move the rioters. A sergeant was struck in the head with a helmet. The suspect was arrested. That time, when officers cleared, traffic was reopened.
The aftermath of the riot was documented in this video: https://youtu.be/rvJmWLWRMEk and photos. Someone spray painted a security camera, and at least one officer's home address was scrawled on the side of the building.
The event forced the assistance of about 35 officers from patrol, severely limiting call response. As the riot was ending, there were 80 calls holding in the city, ranging from shots fired, car crashes, welfare checks, priority threats, missing persons, and more.
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