Video captured the moment a Portland demonstrator hauled off and punched a police officer in the head — and captured the ensuing chaos following the attack as well.
Authorities arrested two people after police declared an unlawful assembly in downtown Portland, Oregon, on Tuesday night.
What are the details?
According to a report from KOIN-TV, the incident took place just hours after former police officer Derek Chauvin was found guilty on all charges in George Floyd’s murder.
Demonstrators, the station reported, gathered in Portland’s downtown to “celebrate George’s life” and go “all out for Daunte Wright.”
Wright was killed in an officer-involved shooting earlier in April when a female police officer reportedly mistook her service weapon for her Taser during a traffic stop.
In the video, which was widely shared on social media, a demonstrator can be seen winding back and throwing a punch, striking a Portland police officer in the head and knocking him to the ground.
“Multiple videos from social media and local news outlets captured the officer moving [a demonstrator] aside, they had a few words — then [the officer] moved on,” KOIN reports. “However, longer videos on social media show another person come and punch the sergeant in the head and the sergeant falls to the ground on his back.”
“More officers intervened and threw punches — what police referred to as ‘focused blows’ — while getting the man off of the sergeant,” the station added. “Police say they also used pepper spray.”
Authorities arrested 36-year-old Randy Gray in connection with the attack and charged him with assaulting a public safety officer, assault, harassment, disorderly conduct, and criminal mischief. He was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center.
The Portland Police shared video of the altercation on Twitter and captioned it, “An Officer is surrounded and punched in the face and ends up on the ground on his back with the suspect on top. This was a very dangerous situation. Subject was arrested.”
The video originated from the Oregonian’s Twitter feed, where it initially was captioned, “VIDEO: An officer and protester engage in a heated confrontation. Another officer arrives on a bicycle, pushing another nearby protester. That protester then punched the first officer, and police piled on the person who threw the punch in a flurry of physical confrontation.”
(Content warning: Rough language):
An Officer is surrounded and punched in the face and ends up on the ground on his back with the suspect on top. Thi… https://t.co/EBgodo9kLi
— Portland Police (@Portland Police)1618984407.0
What else?
Police eventually determined the gathering was an unlawful assembly after some demonstrators began starting fires, breaking windows of local businesses, and tagging the Justice Center with graffiti.
In a statement, acting Portland Police Bureau Chief Chris Davis said, “Those who think it is acceptable to put others’ lives and livelihoods at risk through dangerous acts of violence and destruction are not furthering the cause for system change, but setting our entire community back by tearing it apart. This is not advancing any racial justice.”