Suspect sought in beating of driver near Portland protest
Victim released from hospital, recovering
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Police in Portland said Tuesday they have identified a suspect accused of punching and kicking a man to the ground after he crashed his pickup truck on a sidewalk near ongoing demonstrations.
Authorities had received a report around 10:30 p.m. Sunday of protesters chasing a truck a few blocks from the downtown federal courthouse. The driver crashed and was then assaulted, authorities said.
Authorities are trying to track down the suspect, Marquise Love, 25, police said in a statement. The victim of the assault has been released from a hospital and is recovering, the statement said.
Video posted online showed the driver of the truck sitting in the street next to the vehicle. A crowd gathered around him and repeatedly punched and kicked him in the head until he was bloody. It wasn’t immediately clear what led to the crash or the confrontation.
When police arrived, the man was unconscious.
A social media account apparently connected to Love has been disabled and efforts to locate him for comment were not immediately successful.
Demonstrations that often turn violent have racked Oregon’s biggest city for more than two months following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
On Monday night, authorities said people marched to the police union building and tried to break into the facility.
KOIN reported that a hose was placed in the window of the building in an an attempt to flood it. The amount of damage resulting from the water is unknown.
The Portland Police Association building has been the target of multiple arson fires and substantial graffiti by people involved in the protests.
No arrests were made during Monday night’s protest, and authorities said most of the crowd dispersed by early Tuesday morning.
Portland Police Bureau news release:
Update: PPB Identifies Suspect in High-Profile Assault, Efforts to Locate Suspect Underway (Photo)
Portland Police Bureau - 08/18/20 11:03 AM
Yesterday, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) began investigation of an assault that occurred in the downtown area where an adult male associated to a white pick-up truck was violently assaulted. Investigators positively identified the suspect as 25 year-old Marquise Love. Investigators made attempts to contact Love but could not locate him.
Investigators have left messages for Love to turn himself in but will continue to look for him as there is probable cause for his arrest.
PPB Investigators have been made aware of attempts by members of the public to contact Love after possible personal information was posted online. Investigators urge the public to not do this as it can be dangerous. Also, the information circulating on social media is not always accurate.
Other reports around social media claim that the victim in this case is not recovering or has succumbed to the injuries. These reports are false. The victim has been released from the hospital and is recovering.
Investigators are still trying to locate a transgender female who had some of her things stolen in the area of Southwest Taylor and 4th Ave, the location where this incident began. That person has not been contacted and their identity is unknown. Investigators would like to speak to this person.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Detective Brent Christensen at 503-823-2087 or at Brent.Christensen@portlandoregon.gov.
PPB understands the high public interest in cases such as these. The release of information may not be as timely as the public would like. Social media platforms make it quick to circulate information but investigators often need to make other connections not seen in videos. Investigators need to protect the integrity of the cases they are assigned in order to present the best case to prosecutors and sometimes an early release of unverified information can hinder that process.
"The Portland Police Bureau is taking this assault and other incidents of violence extremely seriously," said Chief Lovell. "Our Detectives continue to investigate this assault as well as other acts of violence directed toward protestors, but we need more than just videos from social media. In order to hold individuals responsible for criminal acts, we need the public to provide information and refrain from tampering with evidence."
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On August 16, 2020 at 10:27 p.m., Portland Police officers responded to an accident call at the intersection of Southwest Taylor Street and Broadway. The call read that "protestors chased a white Ford 4x4, which has crashed" at that location and "protestors drug him out of car." Another witness called prior to police arrival and reported that 9-10 people were "beating the guy."
Officers responded and found an adult male who was unconscious with injuries. The victim was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is recovering.
Portland Police became aware of video's circulating through social media, which show various events of what led up to an assault of the victim. The series of events was carried out in different locations involving many different people. This in an ongoing investigation and the Police Bureau will provide further information as it is available. Below are chronological links to the videos posted on Twitter by Drew Hernandez @livesmattershow and Kalen From Scriberr @FromKalen:
Investigators learned that the victim may have been trying to help a transgender female who had some of her things stolen in the area of Southwest Taylor and 4th Ave, the location where this incident began. That person has not been contacted and their identity is unknown. Investigators would like to speak to this person.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Detective Brent Christensen at 503-823-2087 or at Brent.Christensen@portlandoregon.gov.
The Portland Police Bureau has been learning of criminal activity captured on social media, as it relates to the ongoing protests, which go unreported. Portland Police would like to remind witnesses and victims to call police immediately so that a timely investigation can begin and valuable evidence can be collected.
