Videos posted to social media appear to show a police officer shooting a protester in the head with an impact munition outside of the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse in downtown Portland on Saturday. Friends and family told OPB News the man suffered skull fractures and required surgery.
The incident places new scrutiny on federal involvement in policing protests in downtown Portland, where courts have restricted local police — but not federal agents — from using crowd control munitions against nonviolent protesters.
One video shows the protester holding a speaker while standing across the street from the courthouse between two parked cars. Police, who appear to be federal officers, throw a canister that lands at his feet, which he lightly tosses away from him.
A firing sound can be heard, and the man collapses to the ground, dropping the speaker. The video shows no sign of aggressive provocation on the part of the protester, who appeared to be standing alone between two parked cars across the street from the federal courthouse.
Family and friends told OPB the protester in the video is 26-year-old Donovan LaBella.
WARNING: This video contains graphic violence and language that some might find offensive.
Another video, which contains graphic imagery and language, tweeted by independent journalist Garrison Davis shortly before 10 p.m. reportedly shows the aftermath.
The protester is bleeding on the sidewalk and appears to be unconscious after being hit with “what appears to be an impact munition” in the face, Davis narrated. Several protesters rush to check on him and carry him away, revealing the splatters of blood on the sidewalk. The officers are standing across the street and are not reacting.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, which oversees the Federal Protective Service charged with security for federal property, and the Portland Police Bureau did not immediately respond to requests to comment.
OPB reports that his face and skull were fractured and that he finished facial reconstructive surgery early Sunday morning.
“He still has a tube in his skull to drain the blood,” Desiree LaBella, Donovan’s mother, told The Oregonian/OregonLive. She added that he needs neurological checks every hour and is showing signs of confusion.
Gov. Kate Brown said President Donald Trump’s deployment of federal officers to Portland “only serves to escalate tensions” and will continue to bring “unnecessary violence and confrontation.”
“The events of last night at the federal courthouse were the tragic and avoidable result of President Donald Trump, for weeks, continuing to push for force and violence in response to protests,” Gov. Kate Brown said. “The cycle of violence must end.”
Portland Commissioner Chloe Eudaly said that the protester did not threaten anyone’s safety, describing the shooting as “reckless and inexcusable behavior.”
“It’s unfortunate that Trump cares more about protecting monuments and buildings than he does people’s lives and constitutional rights,” Eudaly said in a statement. “We didn’t invite or ask for this overblown intervention by the federal government.”
Mayor Ted Wheeler, Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty and Commissioner Amanda Fritz did not immediately respond to requests to comment.
Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden said that the shooting was a consequence of President Donald Trump “unilaterally dispatching” federal law enforcement into U.S. cities.
Impact munitions, like the foam-tipped and plastic projectiles used by Portland police, are generally intended to be fired at arms and legs to prevent serious injury. Portland Police directives restrict officers from using impact munitions to target a person’s head, neck or throat “unless deadly force is authorized.” Additionally, police can’t use impact munitions to control crowds without supervisor permission or the threat of death or serious injury.
And under a temporary court order, Portland police may not use less-lethal impact weapons unless officers believe lives or safety are at risk. They’re specifically barred from using the munitions against people engaged in passive resistance.
But the order only applies to city police, and not federal officials. Federal police also have used tear gas to disperse crowds on several occasions in recent days.
And federal officers operate under their own set of directives.
Saturday night protests in Portland became tense after 9 p.m., about an hour before the incident shown in the video. Officers also used crowd control munitions such as tear gas to scatter protestors. Saturday marked the 45th day of protests in Portland following the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd in late May.
Federal officers also chased a demonstrator who was drawing on the sidewalk with chalk outside the federal courthouse.
— Ryan Nguyen; rnguyen@oregonian.com; @ryanjjnguyen
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