One person was shot dead in Portland, OR on Saturday after an escalation in conflict between Black Lives Matter protesters and supporters of President Donald Trump.
Ever since the police killing of George Floyd and subsequent calls for racial justice, Portland has seen nightly protests and a number of violent riots over the last three months. Most recently, caravans of pro-Trump groups have gathered around the city to counter protest Black Lives Matter demonstrators, which resulted in a number of clashes as they drove through Portland.
New York Times correspondent Mike Baker provided extensive coverage of the clashes throughout the day, and in one incident, BLM demonstrators threw objects at the Trump caravan, who responded with pepper spray and shots from a paintball gun.
Later on, Baker reported an occurrence of “live gunfire” before amending his coverage and referencing photojournalist Nathan Howard to announce that a person was killed by a gunshot wound to the chest.
Precise details remain unclear, but multiple reports say the man who was shot was wearing a hat bearing the insignia of Patriot Prayer, a far-right
The Portland Police Bureau announced that they arrested at least 10 people over the course of Saturday’s events, and the confirmed that the gunshot victim died as police medics tried to attend to him.
“This violence is completely unacceptable, and we are working diligently to find and apprehend the individual or individuals responsible,” Police Chief Chuck Lovell told the Times.
Watch above, via Mike Baker.