
Federal law enforcement officers fire impact munitions and tear gas at protesters demonstrating against racism and police violence in front of the Mark O. Hatfield federal courthouse in Portland, Ore., on July 16, 2020.
Jonathan Levinson / OPB
The Oregon Department of Justice is suing several federal agencies involved in the response to Portland protests. The lawsuit accuses the agencies of engaging in "unlawful law enforcement in violation of the civil rights of Oregon citizens by seizing and detaining them without probable cause." Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum and Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill have also opened a criminal investigation into the incident where a federal officer severely injured a peaceful protester by shooting him in the head with a "less lethal" munition.
- Demonstrators in Portland have protested police violence and racism for more than 50 days. And after federal law enforcement officers in unmarked vehicles arrested protesters off the streets, tensions have heightened between demonstrators and law enforcement. On Saturday night, protesters lit a fire in the Portland Police Association headquarters. PPA President Daryl Turner condemned the protests during a Sunday press conference, but unlike many city and state leaders, did not criticize federal law enforcement.
- Cassandra Ruwaldt says she nearly crashed her car when she saw a wooden train on display in the Central Oregon town of Metolius. That train was built by Ruwaldt's former stepfather, a convicted sex offender, who began abusing her when she was eight years old. She says he used his woodworking projects, including the train, as a ruse to isolate Ruwaldt in order to abuse her. She attended a City Council meeting in March to inform the city about the train's history and urged them not to put it on display. Earlier this month, the city of Metolius voted to give the train a prominent spot in front of its city hall anyway. On Friday, a city employee told OPB the train has been destroyed, but Ruwaldt says she's still disgusted with the way things unfolded. We hear more from Ruwaldt.
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