On Saturday, June 25, 2022 at about 10:00p.m., a group of over 60 people marched out of Grant Park, Northeast 33rd Avenue and U.S. Grant Place. Participants, most dressed in all black, began breaking windows and scrawling graffiti.
Officers were monitoring the crowd, but did not have resources to intervene in the moment. At the time of this event, there was an injury shooting and a stabbing in East Precinct, and a felony assault in Central Precinct. Additionally, a community festival in North Precinct was underway, an impromptu “dance party” drew approximately 1000 people to Irving Park, and they held a march and blocked traffic. There were also calls about speed racers doing stunts in various parts of Portland.
The group left the area by 10:45p.m. Since then officers have been taking reports of the damage. They have confirmed that several banks and coffee shops had broken windows. A van belonging to Portland Public Schools was damaged, broken windows and tagged with paint. A pregnancy resource center was vandalized. Officers are working to contact affected business owners and assist with arrangements to secure the buildings. Efforts are already underway to get graffiti removed.
Officers have compiled reports of damage in the Hollywood District Neighborhood. This is the information available to date and may not be comprehensive.
Damaged locations:
-Nonprofit motherhood support organization, 1500 block Northeast 41st Avenue, with graffiti, a smashed window, and a damaged metal gate.
-Coffee shop, 1600 block Northeast 39th Avenue, with windows smashed, graffiti.
-Bank, 3800 block Northeast Broadway, with graffiti, multiple windows smashed, and a smashed ATM.
-Bank, 3900 block Northeast Sandy Boulevard, with broken windows, graffiti.
-Grant High School, 2245 Northeast 36th Avenue, with smashed van windows, van spray painted.
-Bakery & Café, 3900 block Northeast Hancock Street, windows smashed.
-Parked vehicle, black Tesla, Model 3, with a shattered front and back windshield, broken out driver side back window, and all over the vehicle was pink spray paint.
The Portland Police Bureau is asking businesses and community members who have surveillance cameras to review footage to see if they captured any evidence that may assist with the investigations. The bulk of the damage took place between 10:06p.m. and 10:40p.m. If anyone has useful footage, they’re asked to e-mail crimetips@portlandoregon.gov and reference case number 22-169901.
The following day, on Sunday, June 26, 2022, at 8:12p.m., Central Precinct officers responded to a group of people marching through Southeast Portland, near the areas of Southeast Belmont Street and Southeast Hawthorne Street. The march was a splinter group of a larger, peaceful demonstration which took place within Laurelhurst Park.
Officers were made aware of vandalism by this group of marchers to local businesses in the area. When officers responded, the crowd began throwing projectiles at officers, including commercial-grade fireworks, paint balloons and large rocks. Officers were able to recover a commercial-grade firework which did not seem to successfully detonate along the march route.
At one point during the event, Central Precinct officers attempted a traffic stop on a vehicle which had been observed to be involved in the march, impeding traffic along major roads. During the traffic stop, a group rushed toward officers, throwing fireworks and rocks at them and their vehicles. One rock made contact with a patrol vehicle, shattering the windshield. Based on the limited number of officers available citywide and the fact that police response to emergency calls for service was being significantly impacted, officers left the area and continued to monitor the situation.
Individuals who engage in violent activity or property destruction will be investigated and are subject to arrest and prosecution. Arrests do not always happen in the moment. PPB will continue to conduct follow-up investigations, make arrests, and forward cases to the Multnomah County District Attorney for prosecution. It is important to remember that although arrests are not always made at the scene, when tensions are high, this does not mean that people are not being charged with crimes later.
If anyone sustained damage and has not been in contact with Portland Police, they’re asked to make a police report by calling non-emergency dispatch at 503-823-3333 or online https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/cor/ . Please reference case number 22-170640.
