The Portland Police Bureau released a statement on Monday, saying that the driver who was beaten unconscious by Portland rioters late Sunday night is “recovering” at a local hospital.
According to the statement:
On August 16, 2020 at 10:27 p.m., Portland Police officers responded to an accident call at the intersection of Southwest Taylor Street and Broadway. The call read that “protestors chased a white Ford 4×4, which has crashed” at that location and “protestors drug him out of car.” Another witness called prior to police arrival and reported that 9-10 people were “beating the guy.”
Officers responded and found an adult male who was unconscious with injuries. The victim was transported to an area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is recovering.
Images of the assault were captured and spread rapidly on social media Sunday night after a driver was kicked in the head and knocked unconscious, as he sat while his vehicle was being robbed by rioters.
WATCH: (NSFW)
GRAPHIC: With the streets in downtown Portland occupied by BLM & antifa rioters, a man crashed his car. The mob pulled him out & beat him senseless in front of the passenger. He’s bleeding & unconscious. No police. Video by @livesmattershow. #PortlandRiots pic.twitter.com/jjnt5dUeb8
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 17, 2020
Andy Ngo, editor at-large of the Post Millennial, then shared a tweet of the moments immediately preceding the assault, where the driver can be seen apparently trying to explain how and why his vehicle crashed. He is then made to sit while others search his vehicle. After trying to get up, the man is violently shoved to the ground.
This is the moment immediately before. The mob assaults him and makes him sit in the ground while they search his belongings. When he stands up, they brutally beat him. #PortlandRiots #antifa #BlackLivesMatter Video by @livesmattershow pic.twitter.com/tEzpIz6V9U
— Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) August 17, 2020
The victim, whose name still has not been made public, came into contact with rioters earlier that night when he first attempted to protect a trans woman from getting beaten, and then tried to protect another woman. He drove off in his truck after rioters threatened him and then crashed sometime later. At which point, rioters in the area converged on him and robbed him before eventually beating him.
The Portland Police have asked for information about the man’s attacker.
“The Portland Police Bureau has been learning of criminal activity captured on social media, as it relates to the ongoing protests, which go unreported. Portland Police would like to remind witnesses and victims to call police immediately so that a timely investigation can begin and valuable evidence can be collected.”
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler also released a statement, denouncing the attacks.
“I denounce all violence, including the assaults that were filmed and posted to social media last night. The work this community and others nationally are doing towards criminal justice reform and racial justice are in an effort to make our communities safer. Assaults like these make our community less safe.”
No arrests in connection with the assault have yet been made.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn
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