[ad_1]
More than 60 emergency calls to police were not heard overnight in Portland as officers were concerned about hundreds of downtown protesters and were bombarded with stones.
On the 80th consecutive night of protests, the Portland Police Department declared a riot around midnight Sunday after a crowd of hundreds blocked traffic for three hours by the Penumbra Kelly Building in the 4700 block of East Burnside Street, entered the gated property and engaged in “violent and tumultuous behavior”.
The targeted building is owned by the city and is used by city and county employees, including the police station.
From midnight to around 2:45 a.m., the protesters ignored police warnings to disperse and began arguing among themselves.
Some threw objects at police cars in the building’s parking lot and spray painted on security cameras. Others threw green lasers in the eyes of the police and bombarded the police with “river rocks” the size of a soft bullet and glass bottles.
CLAIM WEEK COSTS TAKE FINANCIAL CHARGE FOR US CASH-SAVING CITIES
Two officers went to the hospital. A photo shared by the police station showed a 9.5 pound stone that was thrown by a person posing as “the press” as the officer “was about to leave in a truck”. Several arrests were made.
Portland Police are seen in riot gear during a confrontation with protesters in Portland, Ore. On August 16, 2020. Protests have continued for the 80th consecutive night in Portland since the murder of George Floyd. (Photo by Paula Bronstein / Getty Images)
“At the time of this release, more than 60 police calls were made in the city,” the police station said in a statement. “Some had been held up for the duration of the events described here. The types of calls ranged from theft, vandalism, suspicious activity, danger, hit-and-run, burglary, violation of a restraining order , alarms, stolen cars, harassment and many more. ”
Officers attempted to repel the crowds in Laurelhurst Park. Protesters swept through residential streets as people watched from the windows and porches of their homes, The Oregonian reported.
Meanwhile, a more than 5-hour crisis negotiation continued early Sunday in Forest Park, where an armed suspect has resisted police efforts to take him into custody for a mental health assessment.
The man allegedly attempted to break into an occupied house before 7 a.m. on Saturday and uttered threats with knives before escaping on foot. He barricaded himself in the park and claims to have a gun.
The police bureau’s crisis negotiation team tried unsuccessfully to get the man out by offering him water, food and clothing, and texting friends and family members . Officers also deployed tear gas, pepperballs and impact munitions and dispatched a K-9 unit, but the suspect, wearing a bulletproof vest, attempted to stab the dog, the office said.
Police said the man had been the subject of at least eight 911 calls in the past week.
Portland Police are seen in riot gear during a confrontation with protesters in Portland, Ore. On August 16, 2020 (Photo by Paula Bronstein / Getty Images)
PORTLAND ALLOWS COPS TO INTERACT WITH CERTAIN FEDERAL AUTHORITIES
As unrest continues in Oregon’s largest city, a group of about 30 alternative-right protesters held a patriotic prayer rally on Saturday afternoon outside the Multnomah County Justice Center, which has quickly tumbled into chaos as they traded paintballs and pepper spray with counter-protesters, KOIN-TV reported.
Counter-protesters reportedly chased rally participants into a parking lot and what sounded like two gunshots was heard on KOIN’s live broadcast.
Police spokesman Lt. Greg Pashley told The Oregonian they were aware of the allegation that shots had been fired and that they would investigate. No injuries were reported.
Protesters are seen at a standoff at a Portland Police Station in Portland, Ore., August 15, 2020 (Photo by Paula Bronstein / Getty Images)
Last week, Oregon State Police announced they were leaving the city after a two-week mission to help protect a federal courthouse that was targeted by protesters.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
While protests for racial justice and against police brutality are generally peaceful during the day, attracting a wide range of citizens, they have often turned violent at night.
Nights of unrest that increasingly targeted the Federal Courthouse prompted President Trump to send U.S. agents to guard the building in July, which reinvigorated the Black Lives Matter protests and often ended in violent clashes.
Newly elected Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt has decided not to prosecute those arrested for non-violent crimes. Since the start of the protests, more than 500 people have been arrested. So far, fewer than 50 have been prosecuted, according to the Associated Press.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
[ad_2]
Source link