One dead after clash between protesters and Trump supporters in Portland
Rioters swarm building, assault officers; Matt Finn reports.
Portland police are investigating an Oregon man – who was allegedly previously cited for carrying a loaded gun at a different protest – for his potential connection to a fatal shooting at a political rally over the weekend, according to a recent report.
The Oregonian cited sources in reporting that the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) is investigating Michael Forest Reinoehl, 48, for his alleged involvement in the fatal shooting of a supporter of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer.
The victim – later identified by Patriot Prayer founder Joey Gibson as being Aaron “Jay” Danielson – was shot and killed late Saturday in Portland, Ore., as a large caravan of President Donald Trump supporters and Black Lives Matter protesters clashed in the downtown streets, police said.
FATAL PORTLAND SHOOTING WITNESS: 'APPALLED' BY 'PEOPLE IN THE STREET CELEBRATING' VICTIM'S DEATH
A man is treated after being shot Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020, in Portland, Ore. Victim later succumbed to his injuries (AP Photo/Paula Bronstein)
“Portland Police officers heard sounds of gunfire from the area of Southeast 3rd Avenue and Southwest Alder Street. They responded and located a victim with a gunshot wound to the chest. Medical responded and determined that the victim was deceased,” the PPB said in a statement following the shooting.
On Monday, a spokesperson with PPB would not confirm the Oregonian report and told Fox News that commenting on any information that hasn’t been publicly released could compromise the active homicide investigation.
“I’m aware that there are media reports that contain named individuals, but those details are unconfirmed,” said the spokesperson, Sgt. Kevin Allen, in an email to Fox News. “All verified information is on our website under the news section.”
A man is treated after being shot Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020, in Portland, Ore. He later succumbed to his injuries. (AP Photo/Paula Bronstein)
According to The Oregonian, Reinoehl has identified himself as anti-fascist and, in one post, from June 16, wrote, “I am 100 % ANTIFA all the way!”
“Every Revolution needs people that are willing and ready to fight,” he allegedly wrote, according to the report. “There are so many of us protesters that are just protesting without a clue of where that will lead. That’s just the beginning that’s that where the fight starts. If that’s as far as you can take it thank you for your participation but please stand aside and support the ones that are willing to fight. I am 100 % ANTIFA all the way! I am willing to fight for my brothers and sisters! ... We do not want violence but we will not run from it either! ... Today’s protesters and antifa are my brothers in arms.”
His 36-year-old sister, who was not named by The Oregonian, told the outlet she learned of her brother’s alleged connection to the shooting around 8 a.m. Sunday, when someone called her and said the Reinoehls’ “whole family was in danger unless we turned him over.”
A man is treated by medics after being shot during a confrontation on Saturday, Aug. 29, 2020, in Portland, Ore. He later succumbed to his injuries. (AP Photo/Paula Bronstein)
She told the outlet she contacted Portland detectives after seeing her brother’s photo online.
“We reached out to police and confirmed that we recognized Michael in the screenshots,” she told the outlet, adding that her brother has not been close with the family for three or more years.
Authorities accused Reinoehl of carrying a loaded firearm, interfering with police, and resisting arrest during a demonstration on July 5, according to the report. Police ordered him to appear in court at the end of the month, but the charges were ultimately dropped, citing "no complaint," the outlet reported.
A spokesperson for Multnomah County district attorney told The Oregonian Reinoehl’s case is still under review.
Meanwhile, the Patriot Prayer community is mourning the loss of Danielson, who Gibson called a “good friend.”
“We love Jay and he had such a huge heart. God bless him and the life he lived,” Gibson said in a Facebook post. Danielson apparently also went by the name Jay Bishop, according to Patriot Prayer's Facebook page.
President Trump retweeted the victim's name and wrote, “Rest in peace Jay!”
Chief Chuck Lovell said Sunday investigators are still gathering evidence. Earlier, the agency released a plea for any information related to the killing, including videos, photos, or eyewitness accounts.
Portland has seen nearly 100 consecutive nights of Black Lives Matter protests and many have ended with vandalism to federal and city property, including police precincts, a county jail, the federal courthouse, and City Hall. Some have even led to violence.
In July, Trump sent more than 100 federal agents from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to safeguard federal property, but they were later pulled out of the city following criticism from elected and public officials.
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State police, who replaced agents at the beginning of August before leaving the city two weeks later, will return to Portland to help local authorities after Saturday’s fatal shooting.
Trump on Monday tweeted: “Portland is a mess, and it has been for many years. If this joke of a mayor doesn’t clean it up, we will go in and do it for them!”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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