Portland City Councilor on if It’s a Problem if CBP Agents Were Attacked: ‘Do Not Need to Shoot First and Ask Questions Later’

On Thursday’s broadcast of CNN’s “The Story Is,” Portland City Councilor Candace Avalos responded to a question on whether it’s a good thing if Border Patrol agents in Portland were going after gang members and it’s a problem if people were trying to kill the agents by stating that “there are just so many ways that the federal government is trying to make excuses for their behavior, when, at the end of the day, you do not need to shoot first and ask questions later, right?”

Host Elex Michaelson asked, “What is your reaction to what happened in your city?”

Avalos answered, “Frustration, anger, sadness, I, just — this escalation of violence that continues is unacceptable, it is dangerous for our democracy. And, at the end of the day, these federal agents are not making our communities safe. And I am just exacerbated by how frustrated I am.”

Michaelson then asked, “If they are, in fact, going after gang members who are involved in a prostitution ring, involved in a shooting, and trying to get those people off the streets, isn’t that a good thing? And is it also problematic if they are — a car is coming at them, potentially trying to kill them?”

Avalos answered, “I laugh because there are just so many ways that the federal government is trying to make excuses for their behavior, when, at the end of the day, you do not need to shoot first and ask questions later, right? And so, if this is a country that respects due process and justice, then we do not need to accept that being a standard for how you do law enforcement in this country, whether you are police, ICE, CBP. So, I don’t accept that premise, and I think we deserve better in our justice system when it comes to tackling crime. That’s not good enough.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett