Portland hit by 100-person riot that caused $500,000 in damages

At least 100 self-proclaimed anarchists tore through Portland, setting dumpsters aflame, smashing windows and causing $500,000 in damage, but police stood idle because of a new state law that restricts how law enforcement can respond to riots.

The city just reached the 'grim' milestone of 1,000 shootings through 2021 in what has been a year of destructive protests, violent street clashes and a police staffing crisis.

Now police say a recently passed law ties their hands even further as it prohibits police from using crowd control techniques like pepper spray or tear gas. Instead, law enforcement agencies are told to rely on follow-up investigations to hold rioters accountable.

Portland's latest round of violence broke out after a memorial for Sean Kealiher, an Antifa activist who was struck and killed by an SUV in October 2019 after getting in a fight with the driver at a bar earlier that night.

Police have not made any arrests in connection to Kealiher's death, though his mother Laura believes they have identified the culprits, according to the Oregonian/Oregon Live. She organized last Tuesday's protest on Twitter, writing that it was 'not a peaceful event' and dubbing it 'a night of rage and anger.'

She delivered on her promise as police say 35 separate locations were targeted - including banks, retail stores, coffee shops, and government buildings.

Beginning at 10pm, the mob ran amok through the streets and shattered windows, setting fires, spraying graffiti messages like 'anarchy means attack,' 'riots work,' and 'breaking windows is good.'

'The reason that we did not intervene goes back to what we talked about last month with House Bill 2928 and the restrictions placed on us in a crowd control environment,' Portland Police Lt. Jake Jensen said in a Pearl District Neighborhood Association meeting, as reported by KOIN. 'That's the way the legislature said we need to operate in a crowd control environment so that's how we're going to act in a crowd control environment.'

House Bill 2928, whose chief sponsors are Democratic Representative Janelle Bynum and Republican Representative Ronald Noble, bans police from using force to respond to riots and charges any violations as second degree official misconduct.

Jensen said, 'The fact of the matter is without being able to use pepper spray, without being able to use our 40 millimeter less lethal devices in that kind of environment really prevents us from having access to the tools that we need in large part to keep us safe.'

Jensen added that the issue wouldn't be solved by adding officers, as many officers were at the scene of the riots last Tuesday and could not intervene.

Residents frustrated by the violence last Tuesday questioned whether that meant anything goes now in Portland.

'Does that mean we are now like a lawless city? Anybody could come in and just bash around and do all the damage that they want without any repercussions whatsoever?' Linda Witt asked during the meeting with police.

Jensen explained that rioters could only facer consequences retroactively and said, 'Well certainly not without any repercussions, the consequences are gonna come not on the night of, but through follow up investigation.'

He added that they're looking for ways around the issue like using shields.

'The law clearly allows Portland Police to use effective tools necessary to control violent crowds,' House Minority Leader Christine Drazan told The Associated Press on Friday. 'However, activist attorneys are deliberately misinterpreting legislation to prevent police from intervening. They have no business putting law enforcement and community safety at risk.'

The exception to the new law is when the circumstances constitute a riot and if the officer using the chemical incapacitant reasonably believes its use is necessary to stop and prevent more destructive behavior.

Portland Police Sgt. Kevin Allen told the Associated Press that officers have been made aware of the 'potential implications' of the legislation and that it´s being analyzed by the city attorney´s office.

'Until we have some clarity on the bill we have to follow the most restrictive interpretation of it,' Allen said.

Authorities say although police did not directly intervene, officers did give direction to disperse over a loudspeaker and a Mobile Field Force moved in, at which point the crowd splintered.

Portland has seen ongoing, often violent protests since the murder of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. Some activists have complained that the police have been heavy handed in their response.

In August, Mayor Ted Wheeler ordered local police officers to not intervene unless civilians were seriously getting hurt or a 'life safety emergency' occurred.

This saw members aligned with the Proud Boys and Antifa fighting each other with paintball guns, bats and chemical sprays. One of the most intense of the frays centered on a conservative rally called the Summer of Love, where police ended up getting involved when the groups exchanged gunfire.

Just two months earlier, Portland's 50-person riot squad resigned in response to the indictment of member Corey Budworth for assault during an incident in which he allegedly struck photographer Teri Jacobs in the head during a riot in August 2020.

Jacobs says she was attacked despite carrying a press card. She was not charged with any crime, and received a $50,000 settlement from the City of Portland as a result of the baton strike. Cops ha... (Read more)

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