Portland rioters target police union HQ, 25 arrested
(Update: More information, police bureau release, list of arrests)
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Rioters in Portland repeatedly set fire late Monday night to a police union headquarters building and were repelled by officers spraying tear gas, officials said. A total of 25 people were arrested amid clashes that stretched into Tuesday morning.
People in a group of about 300 people hurled rocks and bottles at officers and set three fires to the sides of the building and one to an awning, police said. All the fires were put out.
One demonstrator climbed atop the building’s roof to unfurl a banner and the building’s walls were spray-painted, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported.
Portland has been gripped by nightly protests for nearly three months since the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Demonstrations, often violent, have targeted police buildings and federal buildings. Some protesters have called for reductions in police budgets while the city’s mayor and some people in the Black community have decried the violence, saying it is counterproductive.
Before dawn Monday, police used tear gas to scatter demonstrators who hurled rocks, bottles and commercial-grade fireworks at officers and set fires in the streets as they marched on a precinct station. Twenty-three people were arrested.
During that demonstration, a group of about 200 lit a dumpster on fire and used it as a shield as they approached the station, police said. They threw objects at officers, hitting some positioned on the roof, and lit an awning on fire. One officer suffered a wrist injury after he was hit with a piece of ceramic.
The FBI said Monday that a threat last week that prompted the closure of a federal courthouse and other federal buildings did not appear to be credible.
Among the buildings closed was the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse, which was a target of protesters who repeatedly clashed in July with federal agents.
Portland Police Bureau news release:
Demonstration Quickly Becomes Riot after Multiple Arson Fires to Building (Photo)
Portland Police Bureau - 08/25/20 3:13 AM
Multiple arson fires were set at the Portland Police Association (PPA) building in North Portland, prompting a declaration of a riot and multiple arrests.
The group, roughly 300 people, began a march from Arbor Lodge Park at North Delaware Avenue and North Bryant Street about 9:30p.m. They walked north directly to the Portland Police Association Building in the 1800 block of North Lombard Street. Among other things, the crowd chanted "burn it down." Many in the crowd carried shields, wore helmets, gas masks, and body armor.
Within minutes of the crowd arriving, people were seen going to the back of the building. Power to the building was cut and flames were seen shooting up the side of the building. The PPA office is located on the edge of a residential area with wood-frame houses. Dry summer weather exacerbated the fire danger. Due to the extreme life safety concerns, the incident commander determined that it was a riot. The urgency to extinguish the fire was extreme. Someone in the crowd appeared to pour some kind of accelerant on it as the fire exploded rapidly.
Warnings were issued over loudspeaker as officers moved in and forced the crowd away. The crowd was advised that failure to leave will subject them to arrest and/or the use of crowd control munitions including but not limited to tear gas and impact weapons. Initially the crowd was directed to the west, but the bulk of the crowd fled to the east. So to avoid confusion, those involved in the riot were directed east and south. Multiple arrests were made. Officers discovered the first fire was on the west side of the building, and a second fire was actively burning on the south side. The fires were put out and the building was checked to verify the flames had not spread to the interior.
As most of the crowd was moved away, and to reduce the intensity of the situation, officers disengaged. More warnings were issued to those still in the area that the event was a riot and they needed to disperse.
Almost immediately people began to return. Chain link fencing was pulled into roadway to block traffic. Another fire was lit in the middle of the street.
At 11:30p.m., some individuals lit two fires on the north side of the building, including the awning over the main entrance. Again, warnings were issued via loudspeaker that the incident was a riot and that all persons must leave immediately to the south and east, and if they did not they were subject to arrest, citation, and the use of crowd control munitions including, but not limited to, tear gas and impact weapons. Officers had to quickly move in to put out the fires before they could spread. More arrests were made. During at least one arrest, officers had a crowd surround them and hit them with umbrellas and other objects. They were able to pull an arrested individual away.
As officers tried to disengage again, people with "press" printed on their outer clothing were seen throwing rocks at them. A rock struck the windshield of their transport vehicle, cracking the glass (photo).
Chain link fences and other blockades were used by rioters to close the streets. Officers again pulled them out of the street in an attempt to reopen traffic.
During the event, and after numerous warnings were given, Portland Police deployed CS (tear) gas and used other crowd control munitions.
About 1:00a.m., most of the participants left the area and vehicular traffic was restored.
Due to the threats of violence and destruction, approximately 30 patrol officers had to be pulled from the precincts. That severely limited response to calls for service. By the end of the evening, over 100 calls for service were holding in the city of Portland, including a priority disturbance, a priority assault, a priority burglary to an occupied apartment, welfare checks, threats, and roadway hazards.
Twenty-five people were arrested. All were booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on the listed charges:
Saxton, Samuel, 26, of Newberg, Oregon, Interfering with a Peace Officer
Soto, Jacob, 41, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Riot
Ruiz, Amanda, 34, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Riot
Saunders, Rebecca, 27, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Hanson, Kathryn, 53, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer
Shaw-Stahlke, Sarah, 38, of Hillsboro, Oregon, Interfering with a Peace Officer
Scott, Jazmine, 25, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer
Leonard, Jude, 18, of Hillsboro, Oregon, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Kim, Bryan, 32, unknown residence, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Stahlke, Daryl, 41, of Hillsboro, Oregon, Interfering with a Peace Officer
Eberly, Lori, 46, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer
Hampton, Joseph, 26, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Riot, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Price, Drew, 30, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Riot, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Johnson, Lauren, 26, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Riot, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Abatie, John, 18, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer
Stamp, Robert, 35, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree, Resisting Arrest
Hoffmann, Philipp, 33, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Riot, Carrying a Concealed Weapon, Resisting Arrest
Fewster, Hannah, 24, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Lawrence, Rosemary, 30, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Quinn-Ward, Aubrey, 23, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Riot, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Rose, Ezekiel, 24, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Riot, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree, Escape in the Third Degree
Echavarria, Roberto, 31, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Riot, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Losch, Paul, 39, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Larimer, Matthew, 26, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Riot, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree
Casebeer, Gregory, 50, of Portland, Interfering with a Peace Officer, Riot, Disorderly Conduct in the Second Degree, Resisting Arrest
Some of those arrested were carrying weapons including an electronic control weapon, baton, dagger, and multiple knives (photos).
### PPB ###
