Yesterday, the Portland Police Bureau’s top brass told reporters that officers had encountered several individuals with loaded firearms prior to an August 4 protest organized by Patriot Prayer, a right-wing activist group. The officers did not charge or arrest the individuals because they all had permits allowing them to carry a concealed weapon, but they did confiscate the weapons. Deputy Chief Ryan Lee told reporters the individuals were associated with Patriot Prayer.
Now, less than 24 hours later, PPB’s telling a different story.
According to PPB spokesperson Christopher Burley, a sergeant encountered four men hanging out on the top floor of a parking garage located about three blocks from Salmon Springs Fountain—where the Patriot Prayer protest was expected to take place later that day. The men had three rifles—all in cases and all unloaded—with them and had ammo on hand.
“The men told the sergeant they were going to stay at the garage and act as a quick extraction team in case any of their group was injured during the demonstration,” said Burley.
Going against Lee’s retelling of the event, Burley said the sergeant did not confiscate any of the rifles.
“In consultation with the City Attorney’s Office, the sergeant told the men to store the weapons in a locked storage container in the back of the pickup and place the ammo away from the weapons in a different part of the truck,” said Burley.
So, essentially: A sergeant encountered a group of men who brought rifles and ammo to a predictably violent protest in downtown Portland, and told them to just put the ammo in a different part of their car.
What makes this more troubling is that, according to Burley, since “there was no imminent danger to the public,” no police reports were written about this incident.
Perhaps that’s why Burley and Lee’s stories contradict each other: There is no actual recording of the encounter to go off of.
Oh hey, I know that garage! Glad to know that I, a local photographer, am told to GTFO when i’m taking pictures of the skyline and people with loaded guns hanging out are A-okay!
Alex Zielinski, you’ve been doing such a stellar job of covering all sorts of critical stories. Was concerned when Dirk V left what the impact would be at the Mercury… they are damn lucky to have you on staff (we all are)
If they had loaded weapons and were planning on “needing” to possibly shoot civilians, they should be indicted on conspiracy charges and their emails, phone records, texts, and other communications searched. Nobody brings rifles to what is effectively a sniper perch without planning and being prepared for actually shooting someone. This is lawless bullshit, and the police and prosecuting attorneys need to take this much more seriously.
I don’t want my children going downtown anymore, not for school, not for work, not for pleasure, not to be targets. Police have shot plenty of innocent tourists & innocent bystanders with advanced weaponry during these protests, and now I have to worry that police allow out-of-state hate group snipers on our rooftops to go free and keep their long guns & ammunition despite self-admittedly bringing them to use on humans. #SuburbanGameHunters
Maybe we shouldn’t hire so many cops who live in WA state instead of PDX.
10 weeks for the incident to be reported to Police Chief & Commissioner? Who runs PPB?
We’re members of the JTTF. Will the Feds investigate?
And what happened to Wheeler’s campaign promise to clean up PPB after Hales gave KKKruger an expunged record & civic award I hear he thrives under Wheeler as well.
Relax-they both need to chill, but guns on a rooftop raise the stakes to terrorist levels.
I hear you, Relax. I still get nightmares about the time that guy murdered 16 people with bear spray, and when that whole theatre full of people was killed by the dude in a mask with an illegal folding baton.
Relax – obviously a large difference in potential lethality between the things you describe and long guns. Not at all the same thing. Which one would you rather take your chances against?
Three citizens engaged in lawful activity were in a place they are allowed to be and in possession of property they are legally entitled to possess. But let’s arrest them because we don’t like their politics.