One man was shot and killed in downtown Portland as dueling demonstrations — one a pro-Trump car caravan and another a counter-protest mounted by various opposing groups — unfolded late Saturday.
Portland police said the man was shot around 8:45 p.m. near Southwest Third Avenue and Alder Street. The agency did not say whether the incident was related to the demonstrations.
The man lay in the street as medics tended to the gunshot wounds. The body remained there after medics left. Next to the body was camouflage gear with infidel and thin blue line patches, which commonly indicate support for law enforcement. Police taped off the area.
A photo from the scene published by Getty Images showed the man wearing a hat with a Patriot Prayer logo. The far-right group has been at the center of multiple Portland demonstrations that often culminate in violent clashes.
Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson said he had also seen the photo of the man killed. He did not say whether he knew the person.
“I have to figure out what the hell is going on,” Gibson said Saturday night, before hanging up.
Various scuffles between pro-Trump demonstrators and counter-protesters had broken out in the hours since a vehicle rally in support of President Donald Trump, which began in near Clackamas Town Center, reached Portland. Organizers of the event encouraged demonstrators to come armed, but not carry their firearms openly.
The fatal shooting occurred after most of the Trump caravan had left downtown.
It’s the third consecutive weekend competing groups have clashed downtown, events that have grown increasingly violent as Portland protests against systemic racism and police brutality stretch into their fourth month.
On Aug. 15, a person fired shots inside a parking garage shortly after dueling demonstrations came to a head in the afternoon.
Last weekend, right-wing demonstrators repeatedly rushed counterprotesters with shields, some shooting paint balls and blasting pepper spray at the opposing crowd. Some left-wing counter protesters also shot paint balls into the group of conservative demonstrators.
At one point, a man identified as right-wing activist Alan Swinney, pointed a gun at the crowd but did not fire. Portland police came under fire for their handling of the incident.
Chief Chuck Lovell said officers chose not to intervene lest they create a flashpoint during a moment of heightened tensions.
Asked what sort of planning Portland police did in preparation for Saturday’s dueling rallies, which were easily identified to contain elements typical of events that end in violence, a bureau spokesman said it does not “discuss our tactical plans publicly.”
Maxine Bernstein, Mark Graves, Dave Killen and Samantha Swindler of The Oregonian staff contributed to this report, which has been updated throughout the night.
-- Eder Campuzano | @edercampuzano | Eder on Facebook
Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
slothcuddlesplease on August 30th, 2020 at 13:42 UTC »
This is fucking mortifying. All of it.
Karahx on August 30th, 2020 at 12:43 UTC »
Honestly scary to watch this from the outside, seems like it will just escalate more and more. Don't wanna think about what happens after the election no matter who wins.
orbitcon on August 30th, 2020 at 10:00 UTC »
As someone from Portland, I have to tell you that this event has shook the city to its core. Even r/Portland went out of their way to set the subreddit to private.