PORTLAND, Ore. — Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt on Monday announced charges against one man for smashing the windows of the Oregon Historical Society and other businesses, and another man for knocking over and damaging at least one statue in downtown Portland on Sunday night.
Both alleged crimes happened while a group of about 300 people marched through the South Park Blocks. Portland police declared a riot.
Statues of Abraham Lincoln and Theodore Roosevelt were both toppled and damaged during the night.
Portland police arrested Brandon Bartells, 38, of Pasco, Washington after they identified him as the driver of a van used to bring down the Roosevelt statue.
Bartells is charged with first-degree criminal mischief and riot.
Officers said Bartells and others used chains and straps to topple the statue, according to court documents. Bartells is a suspect in bringing down the Lincoln statue as well, but the district attorney’s office said Monday that investigation is ongoing.
Bartells was also arrested at a protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin in August. Back then he was accused of violating the curfew that was in place after protests erupted following the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
The city of Portland said the damage to the Roosevelt statue will cost about $20,000 to repair and the damage to the Lincoln statue will cost about $10,000.
Portland protesters topple statues of Lincoln, Roosevelt
According to the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, Malik Fard Muhamad was also arrested Sunday night. Court documents say Muhamad used a metal baton to smash the windows at the Oregon Historical Society, Portland State University and other businesses.
Muhamad is charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a loaded firearm in public, first-degree criminal mischief and riot.
Portland police detectives learned Muhamad, 23, is from Indiana but has been living in Washington and has attended multiple protests where violence occurred over the past few months, according to court documents.
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“It is sickening to me to see the destruction that occurred in Portland overnight. The damage in the South Park Blocks, at the Oregon Historical Society and other businesses in downtown is inexcusable,” Schmidt said in a statement. “For more than a century the Oregon Historical Society, its staff of researchers, educators and volunteers have documented, preserved and shared Oregon’s history. They have put a spotlight on white supremacy, racism, civil rights and social inequality. They have elevated the voices and stories of marginalized and underserved communities in Oregon. I am proud of the work OHS does each day to make our state’s history accessible to everyone. The vandalism that occurred overnight has no place in our community. This violence and property destruction is without purpose and justification. My office remains committed to prosecuting individuals who commit these types of crimes so we can protect public safety.”