35 officers in Portland were pulled away from patrol duty after a riot was declared Sunday evening, leaving some 80 other emergency calls on hold, according to Portland Police Bureau (PPB).
“The event forced the assistance of about 35 officers from patrol, severely limiting call response. As the riot was ending, there were 80 calls holding in the city, ranging from shots fired, car crashes, welfare checks, priority threats, missing persons, and more,” the PPB said in an official statement.
Police confirmed to The Daily Caller that additional officers were brought over prior to the riot being declared.
A crowd of approximately 200 individuals began marching toward the North Precinct Community Policing Center dressed in helmets, armor, gas masks, all-black clothing and carrying shields, according to police. Police say they positioned their vehicles across the road to protect the building, which had been the site of other riots.
The demonstration quickly turned violent, with rioters lighting a fire in a dumpster before pushing it into the nearby intersection where police had set up a perimeter, according to police.
Rioters then began throwing chunks of ceramic, rocks and glass bottles toward the officers, while others pointed green lasers — which are capable of causing permanent eye damage — at officers. At least one balloon filled with feces was thrown at officers on the roof of the building, according to the statement. (RELATED: Democrats Blamed The Feds For Violence In Portland. But The Chaos Continued Even After They Pulled Back)
Police declared an unlawful assembly around 10:30 p.m. and everyone was ordered to leave.
“Officers stayed back for the next half hour, giving participants ample time to leave voluntarily. Few took advantage of that opportunity,” according to the statement.
Police say rioters began throwing bottles, paint bombs, rocks, heavy metal screws and a commercial grade firework.
Shortly after 11:00 p.m. police declared a riot. Police say one rioter lit a canopy against the building on fire, and as officers tried to extinguish the flames they were pelted with rocks and ceramic.
Press Release: UPDATE: Arrest Information After Riot at North Precinct (Photo)
Link: https://t.co/8YRImKFpxJ pic.twitter.com/StdgbPRHm8— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) August 24, 2020
Portland Police deployed tear gas “due to the extreme threat to life safety and the aggression of the crowd,” and continued to try and disperse the riot throughout the early morning hours of Monday, according to police.
Aftermath: A violent crowd confronted officers at North Precinct the evening of August 23rd, into the following morning. Officers were targeted with ceramic debris, rocks, heavy metal bolts, fires, and more. When the crowd cleared, they left behind a field of debris. pic.twitter.com/iPHFwBgXFr
— Portland Police (@PortlandPolice) August 24, 2020
Police reported that they arrested 23 people during the riot.
Portland has seen at least a dozen riots over the course of 80 days, with rioters vandalizing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement building last week.
Protests began as a call to defund the police following the death of George Floyd.