Two nights in a row, riots developed across the street from Floyd Light Middle School, as a crowd tried to burn PPB East Precinct …
By 7:49 a.m. on August 6, the overnight debris has been removed, and graffiti cleaned, after a night of “activism” comes to outer East Portland in the Hazelwood neighborhood, at Portland Police Bureau East Precinct.
By David F. Ashton
After weeks of protests in downtown Portland which typically end in insurrection conditions, and several similar incidents in North Portland – at both the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) North Precinct campus, and at the Portland Police Association office building – outer East Portland was next to experience mayhem on Wednesday night, August 5.
Around 8:00 p.m., a group began to gather at Floyd Light Park, and in the parking lots of Floyd Light Middle School and the East Portland Community Center, along SE 106th Avenue, just south of Washington Street.
“The group grew to a couple hundred people in size; and, around 9:15 p.m., the group walked into the street at SE 106th Avenue, blocking both lanes of traffic,” said PPB Public Information Officer Derek Carmon.
This frame from a video, taken by an officer inside East Precinct, shows a man battering glass near the front doors with a construction hammer. PPB image
“Some people in the group began blocking the entryway to the East Precinct garage located at 737 SE 106th Avenue,” Carmon reported. “While the group blocked the street, many of those in the group began shining green lasers and other lights at officers who were positioned on the East Precinct roof.”
By 9:24 p.m., Carmon said that several vehicles associated with the group were also blocking traffic in front of East Precinct, and those on foot were wearing helmets and carrying shields.
Using a ladder, brought to this “protest”, a suspect tries to disable a video surveillance camera. Courtesy of KOIN-6 News
“A member in the group was seen attempting to tear the surveillance camera off of the front doors of East Precinct; other people in the group began spray painting the camera as well as the front doors of the precinct,” Carmon said.
At 9:33 p.m., Portland Police began making public address announcements, telling the crowd that criminal activity was occurring, and if those in the crowd were there to simply to peacefully protest, they needed to vacate the area immediately.
At 9:40 p.m., people began tearing off the boards protecting the glass windows of East Precinct. Courtesy of KOIN-6 News
Several people in the group began to ram a large 2×4 piece of wood into the front glass doors in an effort to shatter them. Other members of the group slammed different heavy large objects, including large rocks, into the glass doors as well.
“Due to the ongoing criminal behavior, an unlawful assembly was declared at 9:45 p.m.; Portland Police once again made public address announcements, telling the group to leave the area to the south but many of the group continued to stay on SE 106th Avenue,” Carmon said.
This PPB image shows the damage done to the front doors of East Precinct. PPB image
“By 9:50 p.m., those who had been destroying the East Precinct glass doors successfully cracked them, causing significant damage; and since serious ongoing criminal behavior continued, a riot was declared at 9:56 p.m.,” reported Carmon.
At 10:00 p.m., the suspects use plywood and an accelerant to start a fire.
At 10:06 p.m., officers began to disperse the crowd. “While dispersing the crowd, officers were hit with projectiles and commercial-grade fireworks,” Carmon told us. “Because of life-safety issues created by members in the group, CS gas and crowd-control munitions were used.”
Police arrest the man, 38 year-old Davis A. Beeman of Vancouver, WA, charging him with Reckless Driving and Interfering with a Police Officer. MCDC booking photo
While dispersal efforts continued, a truck associated with the group attempted to run over several officers. Arrested was 38 year-old Davis A. Beeman of Vancouver, WA; he was charged with Reckless Driving and Interfering with a Police Officer. Booked at 11:29 p.m., Beeman was released the next morning, August 6. Release Reason: Released on Own Recognizance.
As bands of protesters broke off and headed out on SE Stark Street at 11:19 p.m., they pelted officers with “heavy rocks the size of shot-puts”, and several balloons filled with paint.
“Over the course of the next two hours, the group continued to return to the area of East Precinct, and officers had to disperse the group two more times; by 1:30 a.m. a majority of the crowd had left the area,” Carmon said.
The aftermath
Not long after sunrise, the damage to East Precinct is evident. Photo by John Graham
Crews begin painting out graffiti on the side of East Precinct. Photo by John Graham
Currently in custody include:
21 year-old Paul Hutchins Lister of Lexington, KY, charged with Felony Riot, Interfering with a Police Officer, Disorderly Conduct II, and Resist Arrest. He remains in MCDC lieu of $11,500 combined bail. MCDC booking photo
26 year-old Krystopher Donnelly, residency unknown, Riot, Attempted Assault on a Public Safety Officer, Criminal Mischief I, Resist Arrest, Disorderly Conduct, Interfering with a Police Officer. Held in lieu of $21,500 combined bail. MCDC booking photo
Those “Released on Own Recognizance” include:
28 year-old Kiley Delgado of Hillsboro, OR, charged with Felony Riot, Interfering with a Police Officer
22 year-old Mohamed Ali of Portland, OR, charged with Riot, Disorderly Conduct II, Resist Arrest, Interfering with a Police Officer
39 year-old Michael James Elias of Portland, OR, charged with Disorderly Conduct II, Interfering with a Police Officer.
28 year-old Derek Burros, residency unknown, charged with Disorderly Conduct II, Interfering with a Police Officer.
32 year-old Adrian De Los Rios of Minneapolis, MN, charged with Criminal Mischief I, Felony Riot, Attempted Assault on a Public Safety Officer, Escape III, Resist Arrest, Interfering with a Police Officer. Release Reason: Posted Bail.
That afternoon, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler talked about rioting and vandalizing “protesters” saying, in part, “… you are not demonstrating, you are attempting to commit murder.”
Wheeler made a veiled prediction that there would likely be “more attacks on public buildings”. He was correct.
Rioters return on August 6
This elderly neighbors stepped up, but gets roughed up and splattered with paint, for trying to stop the vandalism to the PPB East Precinct, for second night in a row. Ian Miles Cheong image via Twitter
On the following evening, August 6, while a protest group blocked streets in downtown Portland in whit police called a “mostly peaceful” gathering, another more violent group returned to block East Burnside Street near the former Southeast Precinct, called the Penumbra Kelly Building.
By 8:00 p.m., a crowd started forming south of Floyd Light Middle School; by 9:45 p.m., the group – a couple hundred strong – strolled into SE 106th Avenue, blocking both lanes of traffic.
“People approached the doors of East Precinct, many wearing helmets and carrying shields. At 9:46 p.m., Portland Police began making public-address announcements, informing the crowd not to attempt to break in to East Precinct or burn the building,” said PPB Public Information Officer Melissa Newhard.
An officer picks up buckets of paint left behind by fleeing vandals. PPB image
Out came the spray paint for graffiti, and tools. This time someone in the mob successfully dismantled a surveillance camera. “Two elderly community members attempted to stop the group from vandalizing the building with paint, and were subsequently hit with the paint,” Newhard reported.
The vandalism ramped up; and, at 10 p.m. – coincidentally just in time to be seen on local TV news “live shots” – the group outside East Precinct lit a garbage can on fire and pushed it up against the front of the building. Several thank-you notes on blue hearts posted by community members earlier in the day, affixed to the front of East Precinct, were lit with matches to accelerate the garbage can fire.
“An elderly community member came forward in an attempt to extinguish the fire; as she did this, group members stood in her way,” Newhard remarked.
These “rebar ties” are scattered in the street, intended to flatten the tires of police vehicles. PPB image
From that point, people in the crowd tried to disrupt security cameras and blind officers with lasers, throw objects ranging from glass bottles to heavy rocks, set off fireworks, and spike police vehicle tires with “rebar ties”.
As the mêlée continued, around midnight, the group swarmed towards East Precinct again.
“An officer was severely hurt when a large rock was thrown at one of their shoulders,” Newhard said.
Here’s one of the people with the letters “P R E S S” on a jacket, refusing to leave the scene. PPB image
Several people with the word ‘press’ affixed to their clothing continued to interfere with officers. Police closed off the entire area to all people – under the authority of City code 14C.30.010 – but even that didn’t deter the hooligans until they were scattered by “control munitions”. The party was pretty much over by 2:30 a.m.
-18 Officials say one of the “protesters” was packing this loaded pistol. PPB image
“Several arrests were made outside of East Precinct, including of an individual who had a loaded handgun,” Newhard commented. That gun was confiscated, but the individual was not arrested at that time.
Inside this backpack police found a new kind of gear, “rebar spike devices”; they say BB 28 year-old Malia Treammell, charged with Felony Riot, among other charges, was wearing it. PPB image and MCDC booking photo
One of the persons arrested, 28 year-old Malia Treammell of Portland, was wearing a backpack filled with “rebar spike devices” she brought to the incident, officials said. “Treammell used a device to puncture a tire on the sound truck that was providing direction and orders to the crowd,” Newhard reported.
After being booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC) just before midnight on charges of the Class C Felonies of Riot and Criminal Mischief I, Escape III, and Interfering with a Police Officer, Treammell was promptly released from custody. Release reason: “Released on Own Recognizance”.
30 year-old Ragina Gray of Portland, charged with Interfering with a Police Officer, Disorderly Conduct II and Resist Arrest, was released after posting bail.
The following adults pictured here in MCDC booking photos were arrested for criminal activity during the unlawful assembly near East Precinct but were promptly returned into the community. Release reason: “Released on Own Recognizance”:
[Top Row] 32 year-old Maranie Staab of Level Green, PA, charged with Interfering with a Police Officer and Harassment –27 year-old Terrell Kitchens, of Hillsboro, charged with Interfering with a Police Officer and Disorderly Conduct II –41 year-old Michael Rodgers of Louisville, KY, charged with Interfering with a Police Officer and Disorderly Conduct II –27 year-old Aaron Newson of Portland, charged with Interfering with a Police Officer and Disorderly Conduct II
[Second Row] GG 26 year-old Gaije Duncan of Portland, charged with Interfering with a Police Officer and Disorderly Conduct II –23 year-old Jordan Saul of Portland, charged with Interfering with a Police Officer and Resist Arrest –28 year-old Jesslyn Kreutz of Portland, OR, charged with Interfering with a Police Officer and Disorderly Conduct II – 21 year-old Chris Johnson of Gresham, OR, of Portland, OR, charged with Interfering with a Police Officer and Disorderly Conduct II
[Third row] 26 year-old Travonn Trahan of Portland, OR, charged with Interfering with a Police Officer –31 year-old Roberto Echavarria of Portland, charged with Interfering with a Police Officer and Disorderly Conduct II.
And, a 17 year-old male detained for Interfering with Police Officer was referred to the Juvenile Court and released to a parent.
It turned out that a surprising number of these “protesters” had come from elsewhere, including Hillsboro; some came from even from a considerable distance. One was from Seattle; another had a Minnesota address, others from Level Green, PA and Louisville, KY.
© 2020 David F. Ashton ~ East Portland News™
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