“We have a large group of antifa trying to flank us an you. We are stopping them for now… but not sure how long.”
This is one of hundreds of text messages sent between Portland Police Bureau (PPB) Lt. Jeff Niiya and Joey Gibson, leader of Vancouver alt-right group Patriot Prayer over the past two years. Like many messages discovered in a records request made in August by the Portland Mercury, it reflects many of the public’s suspicions that the Portland police have been sympathetic—if not protective—of the right-wing extremist group.
It’s not unusual for PPB officers to contact activists who may be planning a protest. But usually, these conversations exist only so PPB can quickly get in touch with a protest group to get an idea of how many people will show up to participate or to ask about general schedule. While Niiya does ask Gibson about crowd sizes and planned future protests, he also chose to regularly give Gibson a heads up about counter-protesters and sympathize with Gibson’s frustrations.
“Heads up just told 4-5 black Bloch [another nickname for antifa] heading your way. One carrying a flag,” writes Niiya during a protest on December 23 2017. “We will have officers nearby but you may want to think about moving soon if more come.”
Another message Niiya sent to Gibson, before Patriot Prayer’s August 4, 2018 march: “As you march we move to keep you both separated. No patriots going to them no Antifa to you. If they get close we will be in between.”
The messages show how Niiya worked to build a relationship of trust with Gibson that goes beyond basic event planning. In one, Niiya congratulates Gibson on his decision to run for Senate, in another, he asks about Gibson’s recent visit to a hospital.
“I want you to know you can trust me. Don’t want to burn that,” writes Niiya in a September 2017 message.
Later, Gibson apologized to Niiya for making a public announcement that “Portland police has our back.”
“It slipped,” Gibson wrote.
Niiya also warns Gibson against bringing Tusitala “Tiny” Toese to a Portland rally, since there was an active warrant for his arrest. In short, Niiya was actively helping Toese avoid arrest. This appears to contradict PPB’s “Dissemination of Information” directive, that states:
“Members shall not provide information directly or indirectly that may enable any person to avoid arrest, punishment, or to conceal or dispose of goods, money, or other valuable things stolen or otherwise unlawfully obtained.”
Portland officials have directly and indirectly chastised Patriot Prayer for the group’s ties to the Proud Boys, a national alt-right extremist group that has been recorded attacking members of the public based on their race, religion, or sexual orientation—among others. (Just last week, Portland City Council passed a declaration denouncing white supremacists and alt-right groups like the Proud Boys and Patriot Prayer.)
This means Niiya’s text relationship with Gibson may clash with yet another PPB directive that prohibits officers from regularly corresponding with members of the public who are “actively involved in an organized effort advocating criminal behavior against any individual, group or organization on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, age, national origin, marital status, sexual orientation or mental or physical disability.”
The recorded text conversations show an unprecedented level of access between a member of the public and a police officer. Gibson regularly texts Niiya asking him to investigate people based on comments made on Patriot Prayer’s Facebook page, or on a video a member of Patriot Prayer took of a member of antifa.
The most recent exchange between the men reflect Gibson’s growing frustrations with Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, who he accuses of lying about a cache of weapons PPB officers found during the Aug. 4 rally.
Niiya’s response:
“I know you and others may not believe me but the Mayor really does support us and works well with us. Our work is complicated like I tried to say the other week. We are always trying to improve.”
Ted Wheeler, fascist-collaborating officer Niiya, and known Nazi cop Mark Kruger must go. This city cannot abide the active coordination between police violent and out-of-state fascist/ nationalist organizations, and the people at he top that facilitate them, even while those hate groups issue broad death threats and direct threats of terrorism with near constant vitriol.
All of these people need to be cleaned out of city government with all due speed; our city’s safety and future depends on it.
Outstanding work by Lt Niiya. He’s done some graduate level work in preventing violence and engaging with radicalized individuals. Remember; if you want to effect change you start by establishing and maintaining communications. Something the Auntie Fay crowd don’t seem to understand as breaking stuff and threatening people is more fun than actual work.
Portland is scary. What the mayor is doing is intimidating the police from protecting right wing groups. Someone should file a civil rights lawsuit. The problem though is investigations aren’t considered harassment even though they really are. They’ll find t’s not crossed and i’s not dotted on some issue and fire the individual.
THIS JUST IN: Based on this comment thread, right-wing idiots outnumber left-wing idiots two-to-one! iPhone video at 11…
Within the context of the tacit role of the police to support the wealthy and powerful, and the status quo, rather than actual justice, most cops are still decent people trying to do a good job. But it’s abundantly clear that there are a significant number of law-breaking knuckleheads among them. The good ones need to rein in or get rid of the bad ones, or people they don’t want messing in their business will.
Any bets that this “keeper of the peace,” Lt. Jeff Niiya , also lives in Vancouver and pals around with that Erin Willey twat?
https://www.columbian.com/news/2018/jul/20/clark-county-sheriffs-deputy-fired-proud-boys-sweatshirt/
Also, I would think that there has to be some type of sworn oath violation around interstate/outside of jurisdiction coordination and/or conspiracy against the public or something along that line? He was literally helping an out of state group of thugs come to town and create an environment of hate. This is beyond shameful and an independent investigation is well warranted. PPD can not be trusted to investigate themselves.
I vote that we all sit down together, smoke some pot and listen to some music in a loving environment, and not talk politics the whole time.
I’ll bring the kind veggie burritos, @8!
Lt. Niiya also communicated with a left-wing activist. I’ve read through all the texts from Niiya to Joey Gibson and the left-wing activist and I’m not too sure what the big deal is?
Can anyone tell me what the hubbub is all about? I mean, it can’t simply be that this police officer was communicating with a right-winger as opposed to a left-winger… can it?
I’m no fan of Joey Gibson (I think he’s an idiot), but it seems to me that all this hoopla is because Niiya was communicating with a right-winger, even though he also communicated with a left-winger.
Niiya’s text messaging with the left-wing activist:
https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2017/12/portland_activist_ostracized_p.html
@10 The hubbub is the left wants a political litmus test to be a city employee. See the statement by Commissioner Eudaly where she writes, “All members of our police bureau must follow our rules and uphold our progressive values.” https://www.portlandoregon.gov/eudaly/article/712767
What’s next? Oaths to obey Commissioners? Her demand is best described as Trumpian.
For the record, the oath actually taken can be found here: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/citycode/28447
Note the lack of the words “progressive” and “values”.