Pro-Trump caravan and protesters clashed before shooting death in Portland's streets
Category: News & Politics
Via: perrie-halpern • 4 years ago • 11 commentsBy: Ben Kesslen (NBC News)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
A day of clashes between a pro-Trump caravan and counterprotesters turned violent Saturday, culminating in the shooting death of a man in the streets of Portland, Oregon.
Supporters of President Donald Trump had gathered in a Portland suburb in an apparent show of force and an attempt to counter the Black Lives Matter protests that have been ongoing in Oregon's biggest city for months.
The pro-Trump vehicle rally began near Clackamas, southeast of the city center. The caravan, made up of hundreds of cars and trucks, traveled for several hours throughout the city, Portland police said at a news conference Sunday. Mayor Ted Wheeler said at the same news conference that the caravan was "supported and energized by the president himself."
Reporters detail Portland clash, possible role of social media
Police said that they tried to take "precautionary measures" to keep protesters out of the downtown area but that they were unsuccessful. Once the caravan reached downtown, clashes occurred between the pro-Trump demonstrators and counterprotesters, police said.
Justin Dunlap, an independent journalist who was on the ground in Portland on Saturday, said that the "Trump car caravan was causing trouble" and that he heard reports that it was pepper-spraying people. Dunlap also said there were reports of people being hit by paintballs from caravan members.
The day ended in the one death, about which police have yet to provide many details.
Dunlap said he saw the victim facing two people when he heard the shots. He did not see the gun being fired because mace was sprayed at the same time, and it remains unclear whether or how the shooting was connected to the protests.
The victim turned "took a few steps, then fell face down," said Dunlap, 44, adding that the two people facing him ran from the scene.
A picture from the scene published by Getty Images showed the man wearing a hat with the logo of Patriot Prayer, which the Southern Poverty Law Center describes as a far-right organization. The group has previously rallied in Portland.
Wheeler called for an end to the clashes Sunday.
"All of us must take a stance against violence. It doesn't matter who are you or what your politics are. We have to all stop the violence," he said at a press conference, blaming Trump in part for the violence.
"Do you seriously wonder, Mr. President, why this is the first time in decades that America has seen this level of violence? It is you," Wheeler said.
Trump had criticized the mayor and praised the caravan Sunday morning, calling its members "GREAT PATRIOTS" on Twitter.
The president has often called for a return to "law and order" in Portland, where Black Lives Matter protests have continued since May.
"The big backlash going on in Portland cannot be unexpected after 95 days of watching and incompetent Mayor admit that he has no idea what he is doing," he wrote on Twitter.
Oregon Gov. Kate Brown slammed Trump on Sunday, blaming him for the violence in a statement.
"President Trump has encouraged division and stoked violence. It happened in Charlottesville. It happened in Kenosha. And now, unfortunately, it is happening in Portland, Oregon," said the governor, who condemned violence from "all ends of the political spectrum."
Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden echoed Brown.
"I condemn violence of every kind by anyone, whether on the left or the right. And I challenge Donald Trump to do the same," Biden said. "It does not matter if you find the political views of your opponents abhorrent. Any loss of life is a tragedy."
Tags
Who is online
79 visitors
Funny how this has no comments...
Patience grasshopper, patience.
confession time - shooting paint balls at trumpsters is pretty funny... hot pink really pisses them off...
Well, many of us were in bed when this got dropped ....
Honestly, i'm shocked more of this type of violence hasn't happened in the last few months.
And blaming Trump for what's going on around the left coast is just a silly left wing dog whistle.
Nothing more, nothing less
I think those far righties riding around in caravans are looking for trouble and helping to stir up the violence.
I'm beginning to think some people want another civil war.
You bet, the ones who have been rioting and looting non-stop for the last few months.
That's exactly what they want.
The rioters are Trumpian sycophants.
Haha .... that just show how utterly and completely out of touch with reality you really are. Damn kooky to say the least .....
It happened again....
Shots fired at pro-Trump convoy in L.A., SWAT teams descend on building looking for shooter
Get the latest BPR news delivered free to your inbox daily. SIGN UP HERE
Teams of SWAT members from the Los Angeles Police Department swarmed an apartment complex Sunday afternoon following a report of shots being fired at a passing vehicle convoy full of President Donald Trump supporters.
A woman who was driving past the pro-Trump caravan in the Woodland Hills neighborhood told authorities she heard what sounded like gunfire around 11:30 a.m. local time. Shortly thereafter, she told police she noted that one of her tires was flat.
LAPD officials said the tire was possibly damaged by a bullet, the Daily Mail reported.
A second witness told the LAPD that they saw someone with a gun standing on the balcony of an apartment nearby in the 20600 block of Ventura Boulevard.
The possible ‘shots fired’ incident in the nation’s third-largest city came a day after a man who belonged to the Trump-supporting Patriot Prayer organization was gunned down on a Portland street. A witness and fellow member of the group who was with the victim at the time said the two were intentionally targeted after being identified by their hats.
LAPD officials said they’ve obtained a photo of a man holding a rifle on a balcony of the same apartment building identified by the witness. The style of rifle the man was holding isn’t clear, however.
SWAT teams set up outside the suspect’s apartment and attempted to draw the alleged shooter and two other people out around 3:30 p.m. after receiving reports the occupants had barricaded themselves inside.
But when cops entered the apartment about a half-hour later, they could not locate anyone inside. SWAT officers had set off a chemical irritant previously in an attempt to flush out the occupants.
Officers locked down the apartment complex and evacuated the nearest units in a continuing search for the shooter, the Daily Mail said.
In an interview with the L.A. Times, Deputy Chief Jorge Rodriguez said that the weapon used was not a “B.B.” gun.
“It was possibly a .22 caliber .25 caliber weapon based on the evidence at the car,” he said.
The LAPD noted further that earlier calls from residents noted that people were pelting the pro-Trump convoy with objects and that someone had brandished a firearm.
Officers said that otherwise, the event was largely peaceful, as most pro-Trump events are — until they are set upon by groups opposed to the president.
In a viral video, an unidentified member of the Patriot Prayer organization who says he was with Aaron Danielson, the individual gunned down in Portland Saturday night, recounted that the pair was recognized and targeted specifically because of their association with the group.
“So they identified our hats. ‘We got a couple of ‘em right here. We got a couple of ‘em right here. Pull it out. Pull it out,’” the man said, suggesting that someone following them take out a weapon.
“We turned around — it didn’t even register that somebody was pointing a gun at us ’til the shots went off and he took off running,” he noted further.
Police in Portland are investigating a suspect possibly linked to the shooting named Michael Forest Reinoehl. The 48-year-old was previously arrested in Portland for carrying a firearm downtown during an earlier protest but was released.
https://www.bizpacreview.com/2020/08/31/shots-fired-at-pro-trump-convoy-in-l-a-swat-teams-descend-on-building-looking-for-shooter-966560
Appears to me that blatant 'organization' is beginning. I suspect that because the Trump-----------whatever it is--------has been in power for less than three years ( it's ) effect on American honor, civility and honesty has suffered a severe blow.
Trump will go down ruthlessly swinging exactly as he went up. Prepare.
Liberal kooks trying to subvert and extort America with their anti social actions. It won’t work. Prepare to reap the whirlwind for your actions.
Prepare .... your time is coming and it won’t end like you think it will ..... prepare .....