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The Portland Police Office Tuesday sought to clarify an incident that occurred on August 4 in which police officers had discovered a group with a "cache" of guns at the top of a parking garage in the center. -ville during an event.
The new details reflect statements that Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler and Deputy Chief Ryan Lee made on Monday about the incident.
The comments also raised questions about Wheeler – who is also the city's police commissioner – aware of the incident with which he was publicly arguing to be able to dictate the time and place of the protests if they threatened the public security.
"Before the start of a scheduled demonstration, the Portland Police Bureau discovered individuals who were positioned on a rooftop parking structure in downtown Portland with a cache of 39, firearms, "said Wheeler at a press conference Monday.
Lee added on Monday that police officers feared that the men were in an elevated position in relation to a large demonstration site and seized their weapons to secure them.
"These individuals have been redirected," said Lee, adding that the men were affiliated with the Patriot Prayer group.
Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson immediately questioned the account. He said that an officer had told him that a group had been arrested in a garage while he was going to the demonstration. He denied taking a tactical position in the garage and said the officers had allowed the men to put their weapons in their vehicle.
A new, more detailed report released Tuesday by the Portland Police Bureau corroborates part of Gibson's story.
But the office has not yet released any documents related to the incident and said that there was no police report.
On August 4, according to the office's clarification, officers met four people on the top floor of the parking garage. Sgt. Steve Andrusko spoke with the group and confirmed that they had three rifles.
"The men told the sergeant that they were going to stay in the garage and set up a quick extraction team in case one of their group members was injured during the protest," he said. the police office. "The men were compliant and allowed the sergeant to inspect the weapons."
PPB said Tuesday in its statement that the men had concealed weapons permits. None of the guns have been loaded, said PPB. Three firearms were in crates and one was disassembled.
After consulting with a city attorney at the SCH incident control center, the officer asked the men to place the weapons in a locked container in the back of a van and place the ammunition in a separate part of the truck. , away from firearms.
"After further examination, it was determined that no firearms had been seized or kept in custody by the people in the parking garage because the police had not the legal authority to do it, "said the police release. "No arrests have been made because no law has been violated."
The office did not identify the four protesters involved.
According to the office's statement, the officers determined that the men on the roof did not represent "any imminent danger to the public".
The incident appeared publicly for the first time on Monday, when Wheeler cited it as an example of the growing threat of violence emanating from dueling factions fighting in the streets of the city over the past year.
The mayor's comments reflect the wording of the proposed order. Although the incident did not result in a written police report, the city appears to be concerned about the possibility of armed factions taking high positions during protests.
On Tuesday, Wheeler told the Think Out Loud panel that the wording of the proposed order allowed him to close parking lots and other buildings.
"This gives the police commissioner the opportunity to close some public buildings, which could include, for example, city and parking structures located in the immediate vicinity of a large rally or major event" said Wheeler.
Wheeler added that the city needed a new tool to deal with protests involving groups such as Vancouver-based Patriot Prayer and protesters.
"These fights are more and more frequent and more and more violent. Since we can not legally prevent groups or individuals from coming to Portland – even if we know that they are engaged in acts of violence or vandalism – I propose what I propose. Believe is a common-sense solution to protect the security and property, the public, "said Wheeler.
The new order would allow the city's police commissioner to determine when and where groups with a history of violence may demonstrate, according to a project released Monday.
Wheeler told OPB that his statements on Monday were based on information he had received from the police bureau, details he said he had learned for the first time that day.
The fallout is a self-inflicted wound to the city that is trying to reduce violence on the streets.
Portland Police Association President Daryl Turner said the communication problem should not have happened.
"The situation has not been handled properly," Turner said. "What the ordinance tries to do is protect citizens, but with misinformation, everyone would have anxiety based on misinformation."
The mayor 's chief of staff said that Mr Wheeler hoped to be able to present the order by the end of October. Three city council members issued statements claiming that they needed more time to evaluate the proposal.
Meanwhile, Commissioner Dan Saltzman said that he supported the measure.
"I fully support the efforts of Mayor Wheeler to take this step and I think that the proposed order is an excellent proposal to better reflect the public's expression and promote the order," said Saltzman in a statement. "Let's leave aside the long debates that will consume a lot of oxygen and will not get us anywhere. Let's take this reasonable step to protect everyone who lives and works in Portland. "
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