Prosecutors announced Monday that they filed charges against two people in connection with a protest last Friday night that left windows smashed downtown.
Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt said he has charged Theodore Matthee-O’Brien, 22, and Cameron Millar-Griffin, 24, with one count each of felony riot and criminal mischief. Both were arrested during the Friday night protest.
A group of at least 100 people marched from Director Park in downtown to Pioneer Place, breaking the windows of several storefronts along the way, including the Oregon Historical Society, a bank and the Nike store. People also set fire to an empty building and a dumpster. Police declared the gathering a riot and faced off with protesters in front of the Multnomah County Justice Center and adjacent federal courthouse.
A flier distributed on social media before the gathering called people to march in the name of Adam Toledo, a 13-year-old boy shot and killed by Chicago police in late March.
In a news release, Schmidt said Matthee-O’Brien and Millar-Griffin are both suspected of breaking the windows of the Oregon Historical Society and Millar-Griffin also is suspected of breaking windows of the nearby First Christian Church.
The damage estimated to each building is more than $10,000, Schmidt said.
Schmidt said officers also found Matthee-O’Brien with a device used for breaking windows, a gas mask, several pairs of gloves, knives and multiple umbrellas, which he said are “items known to be commonly used by rioters.”
Schmidt said Matthee-O’Brien also faces charges in connection with a Jan. 20 gathering outside the ICE headquarters in South Portland: felony riot, disorderly conduct and interfering with a police officer. Police said they saw Matthee-O’Brien used a shield to block and shove officers who were “attempting to control a violent crowd.”
—Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; [email protected]; @JRamakrishnanOR
