Portland Police were attacked by rioters Wednesday night after people shattered windows, started fires outside the police East Precinct Building in the Portland, Ore. suburbs, and nearly hit officers with a truck.
In a press statement Wednesday, the Portland Police said a couple of hundred rioters began gathering around the police building at 8 p.m., smashed windows, and started a fire at the building’s entrance. Vehicles believed affiliated with the group also attempted to block traffic around the police building. After police declared a riot and ordered the crowds to disperse, a truck reportedly attempted to run over several police officers.
The Portland Police tweeted a video of the fire the crowds started outside the police building. “Tonight’s group outside of East Precinct’s entrance doors setting fire.”
Tonight’s group outside of East Precinct’s entrance doors setting fire. https://t.co/8SnwFd7Zof
— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) August 6, 2020
“Tonight’s group outside of East Precinct destructing security cameras,” Portland Police tweeted with a second video shared from the riot outside the police building.
Tonight’s group outside of East Precinct destructing security cameras. https://t.co/3T2B6pbb0K
— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) August 6, 2020
The Portland Police worked to disperse the crowds after they started the fires. The Portland Police say that as they moved the rioters away from the police building, rioters threw rocks and “commercial grade fireworks.” The Portland police responded by using tear gas and other crowd-control munitions to push back the crowds.
Portland Police made some arrests, as captured on video.
Arrests at 106th and Washington. pic.twitter.com/PzwMro0rxX
— Hannah Ray Lambert (@TheHannahRay) August 6, 2020
The Portland Police said that is was during efforts to disperse the crowd continued, that “a truck associated with the group attempted to run over several officers.”
Later in the evening, the Portland Police reported an “unknown suspicious device was left outside of East Precinct by members of the group prior to the dispersal. The area was secured once the group was cleared from the area and the device was later found not to be an explosive.”
KOIN News reporters Hannah Ray Lambert tweeted, “Back at the precinct where police taped off the road. I was here earlier when they did that and heard an officer say something about a suspicious package.”
Back at the precinct where police taped off the road. I was here earlier when they did that and heard an officer say something about a suspicious package. pic.twitter.com/YtpB8gqWPC
— Hannah Ray Lambert (@TheHannahRay) August 6, 2020
The Portland Police reported the group attempted to return to the police building and that police had to disperse crowds three additional times after the first crowd clearing effort.
The continued rioting comes amid complaints about the presence of federal officers in the city. In recent weeks, the Department of Homeland Security had used some officers to defend a federal courthouse in the city from rioters. Last week Democratic Oregon Gov. Kate Brown announced a deal reached with acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf to have federal officers move out of the city and have state and local police step in.
The latest rioting incident comes even after the agreement between Oregon and DHS. Wolf tweeted last week that federal officers would remain in the city “until we are assured that the Hatfield Federal Courthouse and other federal properties will no longer be attacked.”
