Ben Smith, the man accused of shooting people at a demonstration in Northeast Portland Saturday night, has been formally charged for his actions.
Smith, 43, faces a total of nine charges: One count of murder in the second degree with a firearm, four counts of attempted murder in the second degree with a firearm, two counts of assault in the first degree with a firearm and two counts of assault in the second degree with a firearm.
According to witness testimony and a court affidavit, Smith confronted a group of women standing at the intersection of NE 55th and Hassalo Saturday around 8 pm and demanded they leave the area.
An affidavit filed by Multnomah County Deputy District Attorney Mariel Mota refers to a video recording of the encounter.
“Participants are heard on the video telling [Smith] to leave them alone and return home,” Mota writes. “[Smith] responds by demanding they ‘make’ him leave and he approaches a participant aggressively, who pushes him back. [Smith] continues to yell at participants and a few moments later, [Smith] draws a handgun and fires at multiple people, striking five.”
Mota’s affidavit alleges that the shooting only stopped when Smith “was shot in the hip area.”
Mota writes that Brandy “June” Knightly was killed by a gunshot to her head, and identifies four other victims injured by Smith’s bullets. Two of them remain hospitalized—one of whom has been paralyzed from the neck down—and two have been released from the hospital. Smith remains hospitalized after undergoing surgery for his hip wound. He is “expected to survive” his injuries, according to a press release from the Multnomah County District Attorneys office.
Portland police have remained with Smith since he was admitted to the hospital. A warrant for his arrest was signed Tuesday afternoon.
So… who returned fire? Seems like a significant angle to the story.
1 Right-wing logic at its best. Chud murders and seriously injures others, someone finally injures him so he stops, and all the right-winger cares about is who shot the poor chud. Ignoring the real probability the idiot shot himself, somehow the return fire is the bad guy, right? I thought right-wingers believed in self-defense.
ahahahaha, you’re seriously calling me right-wing? Because I want to know who else was firing a gun? I didn’t say (or even remotely imply) they were the bad guy. I’m just saying, it’s a significant part of the story that’s not being told yet. The fuck is wrong with you, though? I’ve never voted for a Republican in my fucking life. So seriously, tell me why you’re spewing hatred at me over a characteristic I do not even remotely possess?
@2 yes this!!
I just love how people are focusing so much on the PPB initially referring to the shooter as a ‘homeowner’. While I hope that the angry furry dude is put away for life, let’s not forget that the protesters had no legal right to gather and to “direct traffic” at that or any other location where they deem suitable. Oh yeah…….let’s not forget the heavy defacing of public property in honor of their comrade.
This kind of thing was bound to happen sooner or later as the cops are in a lose-lose situation regarding these riots/protests. They are damned if they do, and damned if they don’t. It is time for the black bloc crowd to call it a day and let the city get back to normal. Or at least what was considered normal before.
Oh, I forgot to throw in evidence tampering. It’s going to be hard to prosecute the furry if the scene of the crime was tampered with and evidence removed.
2: I just misinterpreted your comment because it looked like some weird whataboutism. It occurred to me after I posted I may have been in the wrong in there. Sorry about that.
7: That was directed to #3 btw.
Apology accepted. I’ve certainly gone off half-cocked with my own hot takes on occasion.
@5 bro I think you’re forgetting about the first amendment