Oregon's Sheriff Reese lowers jail booking criteria amid violent Portland protests

Louis Casiano
Fox News
Mon, 03 May 2021 19:46 UTC

Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese

Multnomah County Sheriff Mike Reese issued a special order last week allowing deputies to book suspects accused of misdemeanor reckless burning and criminal mischief into the county jail as Portland continues to grapple with violent protests that have seen businesses and government buildings vandalized.

The changes took effect on April 23, according to a memo signed by Reese.

"The addition of the two specified crimes was done in recognition of the recent proliferation of attempts to set fire to objects and structures during demonstrations, and has been done in the best interest of public safety," sheriff's office spokesman Chris Liedle told Fox News.

© John Rudoff/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Police fire tear gas at demonstrators during a protest against ICE in Portland, Oregon on January 23, 2021.

Previously, deputies issued a citation for misdemeanor crimes with a court appearance order. The order comes after nearly a year of protests that have devolved into violence that resulted in buildings being vandalized, fires being set and violent clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement.

The sheriff's office has historically had an opening booking policy, meaning that anyone with a criminal charge could be booked into its jail. That changed with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, with the agency deciding to restrict jail booking to higher-level crimes in an effort to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 in its correctional institutions.

Local officials have spoken out about the level of chaos happening on Portland streets each night as some groups of demonstrators have engaged in destructive behavior.

© KPTV

A person was seen on a livestream heaving a large pile of burning material onto a desk inside the Multnomah Building.

"The violence and property destruction we've seen in Portland for nearly 11 months is unacceptable," Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt said last week. "As district attorney, I will always defend a person's right to free speech but I will not defend, nor support anyone who knowingly or recklessly or intentionally destroys property or engages in violence."

Since the changes went into effect, three people have been arrested and booked into jail on second-degree criminal mischief charges, the Oregonian reported. Liedle said the special order is only temporary.

"It's expected that as we round the corner with COVID-19 in the future, open booking will be restored," Liedle said.

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said he hopes the changes will stop those who have taken to the streets to set fires, break windows and spray-paint graffiti.

"Once they cross that line and engage in criminal destruction, they are no longer protesters they are criminals," Wheeler said during a Friday afternoon press conference.

Comment: Looks like Wheeler's finally found a bit of spine. Has he realized the radicals he's pandered to aren't enough of a base to get him re-elected?

In the meantime, matters continue to simmer, with more trouble at Portland's 'Red House' enclave:

The North Portland property where police and protesters engaged in a tense standoff late last year was the site of a large party Tuesday that spilled into the surrounding neighborhood and prompted nearly two dozen 911 calls.

The party at the so-called "red house" was advertised on Instagram, featured live music and drew between 100 and 150 people, according to neighbors who say they worry the site will continue to be the source of nuisance complaints as warmer weather approaches. The property is located at 4406 N. Mississippi Ave.

One neighbor, Dylan Kruse, said he called 911 to report trespassing on his property and later spoke with a police officer about the assault of a woman associated with the party. Kruse said he heard the woman screaming. Kruse said the officer told him that police would not "insert officers into the situation."

© Beth Nakamura/StaffThe Oregonian

Scenes from the red house on North Mississippi Street in Portland, April 28, 2021.

The red house and adjacent empty lot remain largely unchanged since becoming a flashpoint for protesters late last year after authorities arrived to evict people from the home, though a makeshift stage for performers appears to have been added. Signs around the mostly boarded up house say, "Land back," "Protest the red house" and "Indigenous solidarity for black liberation."

A Moroccan flag still flies in front of the house, a nod to the Moorish sovereign beliefs of William Kinney, who goes by William X. Nietzche. The home previously belonged to Kinney's parents, who lost the property through foreclosure. Kinney embraces the sovereign citizen movement, a fringe belief system whose adherents profess they are above the law.

Meanwhile, talks about both properties appear to have stalled. Libra Forde, chief operating officer at Self Enhancement Inc., a prominent nonprofit that has long served the area's Black youths and families, said her organization remains interested in acquiring the empty lot, but the review process continues.

By the end of the year, it seemed a deal that would turn the house over to the Kinneys had been brokered, but little has happened since. A spokesman for Mayor Ted Wheeler said he needed to check on the status of talks about the properties and did not get back to The Oregonian/OregonLive by day's end.

Portland police Sgt. Kevin Allen said the city received "numerous noise complaint calls in that neighborhood last night."

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