Conner O’Shea told journalists he started running when he saw mysterious, armed people wearing camouflage body armor jump out of an unmarked van as he was walking home from a protest in downtown Portland, Oregon, on July 15, 2020.
But his friend, Mark Pettibone, 29, was unable to escape the group of people in military fatigues that was later identified as a team of federal law enforcement agents operating under a plan by U.S. President Donald Trump to quell demonstrations against police brutality and racism in cities nationwide.
According to Pettibone’s account of the incident — which was later publicized widely in news outlets ranging from The New York Times to Fox News — the officers tossed him into the van and took him to a federal courthouse. There, he said, they held him in a cell for about 90 minutes without explaining for what crimes he was suspected, nor identifying themselves as law enforcement personnel.
His alleged experience, as well as reports of viral videos purportedly depicting similar actions on behalf of federal agents in Portland (which we explain below), outraged critics of the Trump administration in July 2020 — including Oregon and Portland officials who said the federal officers and their militarized tactics were not welcome in Portland and violated the rights of citizens.
Personal reports from a friend of mine on the front lines in Portland corroborate this tactic - the group she was with was followed home by one of the vans described above.
Her mugshot (she had been in the system before) then appeared in a line-up banner of “Antifa Criminals” that started circulating around right-wing websites. As she’s trans, she ended up having to move and go underground because of the death threats.
If you’re in any way part of a population that Trump is targeting, be ready to defend yourself. Remember that once you’re in the system, not only will the cops have your data, but it will be leaked to the alt-right thugs willing to do the dirty work the cops won’t.
Oh, it’s actually WORSE than that. Not only were undercover feds disappearing people from the streets of Portland, the acting guy in charge, “Chad Wolf” (not EVEN making that up) was never confirmed.
Here in Oregon it’s pretty clear, YMMV:
https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_161.219
"a person is not justified in using deadly physical force upon another person unless the person reasonably believes that the other person is:
(1) Committing or attempting to commit a felony involving the use or threatened imminent use of physical force against a person; or
(2) Committing or attempting to commit a burglary in a dwelling; or
(3) Using or about to use unlawful deadly physical force against a person. [1971 c.743 §23]"
In the case of an attempted kidnapping and the officers fail to identify themselves as such, that would fall under (1):
“Kidnapping in the first degree is a Class A felony.”
https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_163.235
“Kidnapping in the second degree is a Class B felony.”
https://oregon.public.law/statutes/ors_163.225
Thank you for the detail.
Some additional context from Snopes as to why this is so important in Oregon especially:
Personal reports from a friend of mine on the front lines in Portland corroborate this tactic - the group she was with was followed home by one of the vans described above.
Her mugshot (she had been in the system before) then appeared in a line-up banner of “Antifa Criminals” that started circulating around right-wing websites. As she’s trans, she ended up having to move and go underground because of the death threats.
If you’re in any way part of a population that Trump is targeting, be ready to defend yourself. Remember that once you’re in the system, not only will the cops have your data, but it will be leaked to the alt-right thugs willing to do the dirty work the cops won’t.
Oh, it’s actually WORSE than that. Not only were undercover feds disappearing people from the streets of Portland, the acting guy in charge, “Chad Wolf” (not EVEN making that up) was never confirmed.
The whole operation was illegal, top to bottom.
https://www.npr.org/2020/07/17/892277592/federal-officers-use-unmarked-vehicles-to-grab-protesters-in-portland
https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/senate-should-ask-chad-wolf-about-his-illegal-appointment