Portland police say they arrested at least 75 adults during rowdy and sometimes riotous demonstrations Friday through Sunday, with at least a third accused of felony crimes.
Among those arrested:
A high school senior who isn’t in school because of the coronavirus pandemic, two school bus drivers left unemployed because of the recession, two part-time workers for Fred Meyer and Amazon, five people who are homeless and an out-of-work restaurant cook who was described by a court interviewer as “very polite and respectful,” according to a review of court documents by The Oregonian/OregonLive.
It remains difficult to draw broad conclusions about the arrests. The Portland Police Bureau’s early morning news releases frequently misstated the charges and ages of those involved. Police reports and court records describing the allegations in detail aren’t yet available.
It’s also unclear whether prosecutors will pursue criminal charges against all of those arrested. More than half of the people were accused of interfering with a police officer, a misdemeanor, according to police statements and court documents.
The other most frequently cited crimes by police or listed in court records are curfew violations (either a misdemeanor or fine), felony riot and felony burglary.
“As police reports are submitted and received, the District Attorney’s Office will continue to review any potential violation of the law in a thorough manner and if warranted, follow the appropriate charging procedures as outlined under Oregon law,” District Attorney spokesman Brent Weisberg said in response to written questions.
It’s unclear how authorities will pursue charges for violating the 8 p.m. curfew established by Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler. City officials have said violators could face a fine of up to $500 or a misdemeanor prosecution.
Weisberg said prosecutors would decide whether to pursue individual criminal curfew charges, and a timeline for making decisions will vary. It isn’t clear if someone who isn’t charged with a misdemeanor curfew crime could still face a civil fine.
About half of Portland’s arrests are not yet accessible in the state’s electronic court system to corroborate the crimes cited by police. The Oregonian/OregonLive found at least 10 instances where the crimes listed by police did not match what had been entered into court records.
The Portland Police Bureau did not immediately response to a request for comment.
Based on information disclosed by police or in court records, the average age of those arrested was 25 years old, with a median of about 23. On average, the typical person arrested has been accused of about two crimes.
There’s no indication that people arrested in the demonstrations Friday through Sunday are from outside Oregon or Southwest Washington.
Among 32 cases with available court records listing addresses, 23 had Portland addresses, four are from Vancouver, two are from Gresham, one is from Beaverton and one is from Oregon City.
Only one person disclosed a California address. Another person said he arrived in Portland only recently.
That individual, a 35-year-old man, told a court interviewer he drove from Arizona a few days ago and is living in his car. The man said he has schizophrenia and isn’t taking his medication, according to court records.
Among the 32 cases listed in court records with addresses and other information, 25 men and seven women were arrested.
Authorities listed 21 of those people as white, seven black, three Hispanic and one Asian.
Portland police said they arrested 16 people associated with Monday night’s demonstrations, which were described as largely peaceful. That pushed total arrests during the four days to more than 90.
Demonstrators have been marching in Portland, and across the country, since last week in response to the in-custody death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. A white police officer who kept his knee pressed to Floyd’s neck for minutes, as the black man repeatedly said he could not breathe, has been charged by prosecutors with murder.
Portland’s mayor on Tuesday noted a “significant shift” in the tone of protests Monday night and said he would not extend the citywide curfew Tuesday evening.
-- Brad Schmidt; bschmidt@oregonian.com; 503-294-7628; @_brad_schmidt
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