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The US Attorney for Oregon has demanded an investigation into actions of federal officers who have pulled Portland protesters off the street and into unmarked vehicles. https://www.opb.org/news/article/us-attorney-oregon-investigation-portland-protester-arrests/
At least one officer with the Marshals Service is under investigation for severely injuring a Portland protester July 11 by shooting him in the face with an impact munition round.
Lisa Hay, Oregon’s federal public defender, said any arrest without probable cause violates the law. “It’s a fundamental constitutional value that people in this country are free to walk the streets without fear of secret arrest,” Hay said.
The US Customs and Border Protection has acknowledged not having officer names on the uniforms of the officers in question, nor have identifying numbers as do police on their badges.
The U.S. Attorney's demand followed calls by Oregon's two Senators and two US Reps. for the federal agents to leave the city. Portland's mayor, the county sheriff and the governor also want them gone, saying they are hurting, not helping, efforts at peace https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2020/07/us-attorney-for-oregon-requests-investigation-into-arrests-of-portland-protesters.html
The Portland protester shot by a federal Marshals Service agent suffered skull fractures and underwent facial reconstructive surgery https://www.oregonlive.com/news/2020/07/police-shoot-portland-protester-in-head-with-impact-weapon-causing-severe-injuries.html
“This is an attack on our democracy,” said Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, who is also the city's police commissioner, of the actions by the unidentifiable federal agents, operating in unmarked vehicles, against constitutionally protected protesters. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/17/us/portland-protests.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
Oregon's governor told the acting Homeland Security director to remove the instigating federal agents ASAP.
The #Trump appointee refused.
Said Gov. Kate Brown: “They are provoking confrontation for political purposes.” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/17/us/portland-protests.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
The #Trump appointee refused.
Said Gov. Kate Brown: “They are provoking confrontation for political purposes.” https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/17/us/portland-protests.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
A former CPB head and Seattle police chief agreed the aggressive federal move, prone to escalate violence, is not about keeping order or protecting American lives. “The last people you really want are any of these federal officials,” said Gil Kerlikowske.
Gil Kerlikowske was head of the CBP from 2014 to 2017 and served as the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy between 2009 and 2014.
A former FBI official, David Gomez, said federal agents should stay within the perimeter of federal property. “When you have the federal government coming in there, acting as state police, you’re effectively pushing the community away.” https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/portland-officials-decry-aggressive-tactics-of-federal-agents-in-their-city/2020/07/17/ae5dbf18-c871-11ea-8ffe-372be8d82298_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-banner-low_portlandpolice-855pm%3Ahomepage%2Fstory-ans
Mayor Ted Wheeler on the unwanted, provocative deployment: “This is part of the core media strategy out of Trump’s White House: to use federal troops to bolster his sagging polling data. And it is an absolute abuse of federal law enforcement officials.” https://apnews.com/95ed013d58a00db0d85ddfd14ab51d2c
