x
Breaking News
More () »

Man arrested for stealing, burning portrait of Neil Goldschmidt

Jeff Thomas Black told a Portland police officer he took the portrait of the disgraced former mayor as "an act of civil disobedience.”

PORTLAND, Ore. — The man who took a portrait from City Hall of disgraced former Oregon governor and Portland mayor Neil Goldschmidt was arrested on Saturday.

Jeff Thomas Black, 50, livestreamed his arrest at his North Portland home. During his arrest, Black told a Portland police officer he took the portrait as "an act of civil disobedience."

Black stole the portrait of Goldschmidt from City Hall last week. He burned it on Friday night. Black told police he burned the picture out of support for survivors of sexual abuse.

Goldschmidt served as Portland mayor from 1973-79 and was the governor of Oregon from 1987-91. In 2004, Goldschmidt confessed to having sex with a 13-year-old girl during his first term as mayor, but he could not be prosecuted for rape because the statute of limitations had expired.

A portrait of Goldschmidt was previously removed from the Oregon Capitol.

Black was booked into the Multnomah County Jail on charges of second-degree criminal mischief, third-degree theft and tampering with physical evidence.

Before You Leave, Check This Out