PORTLAND, Ore. — A right-wing brawler has been arrested on suspicion of felony assault stemming from a tumultuous street clash with left-wing groups near an abandoned department store in east Portland last summer.
Tusitala “Tiny” Toese — whose nickname belies his hulking presence — faces charges for the August gathering of Proud Boys and other right-wing groups outside an abandoned Kmart in Portland’s Parkrose neighborhood.
Multiple sources confirmed the charges listed in the secret Multnomah County indictment, which is not yet public. The Portland Mercury first reported about the indictment Tuesday.
Toese, a notorious participant since 2017 at right-wing Patriot Prayer events that regularly devolved into scuffles with counter-demonstrators, was a ringleader of the Aug. 22 brawl.
The clash between black-clad anti-fascists and their right-wing foes culminated in a furious exchange of pepper spray, projectiles and paintballs. The battle spilled onto Northeast 122nd Avenue and then into the parking lot of Parkrose High School, where videos and photos captured the brutal beatdown of a left-wing protester trapped inside a pickup truck.
A source with knowledge of the investigation said Toese, 25, faces accusations of using a bat to smash out the truck’s windows and directing others to attack the man inside the vehicle.
He faces three counts of second-degree assault, two counts of third-degree assault, two counts of riot, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of criminal mischief.
Second-degree assault, a Measure 11 crime, carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, 10 months in prison.
Portland attorney Juan Chavez — who’s representing two left-wing demonstrators wounded in the Aug. 22 brawl, including the man inside the truck — said a grand jury brought the indictment against Toese in December.
Chavez said two other right-wing demonstrators have also been indicted on assault charges stemming from the brawl. He declined to identify those demonstrators or the left-wing protesters he’s representing. The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office declined to comment.
“We’ve seen a lot of BS from Tiny over the years, but he really came out as a Proud Boys organizer and leader on Aug. 22,” Chavez told The Oregonian/OregonLive. “Right-wing organizing in our city can’t continue unabated. These indictments send a strong message. My hope is that Proud Boys will think twice about coming to Portland to terrorize our communities.”
Toese, a Vancouver resident, must be extradited to Multnomah County to face charges in the east Portland brawl. That’s unlikely to happen imminently, however, as his charges of obstructing a law enforcement officer, second-degree criminal trespassing and third-degree assault in Washington’s Thurston County may need to be adjudicated first.
The Thurston County allegations stem from a January 2021 incident, according to the county clerk’s office. No details about the incident were immediately available. A trial date for that case is set for Feb. 28.
Toese, who was initially jailed Dec. 29 in southwest Washington’s Clark County, was transferred Jan. 5 to the Thurston County Jail, where he remains in custody.
