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SEATTLE – A man under investigation in the shooting death of a far-right activist in Portland was killed Thursday night as authorities carried out an operation to arrest him, sources linked to the investigation said. Michael Forest Reinoehl, 48, was killed in Lacey, near Seattle, apparently in a confrontation with a team of federal agents specializing in trapping fugitives.
Thurston County Lt. Ray Brady said in an interview that the suspect had left a building and got into a vehicle when approached. According to the police, there was an exchange of shots during the arrest attempt and four officers fired their weapons. Those responsible for the arrest claim that Reinoehl was armed, but that has not yet been confirmed by forensics.
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Portland police had issued an arrest warrant for Reinoehl on Thursday, the same day an interview was published on Vice News in which the activist appeared to admit to the crime, saying he “had no other choice.” He claimed to have acted in self-defense, as he believed he would be stabbed, along with a colleague.
Portland police are investigating the shooting death Saturday of Aaron J. Danielson, one of Trump’s supporters who traveled to the city and clashed with protesters against racial injustice and police brutality.
Reinoehl was a constant presence in Portland, where protests against racism fueled by the murder of George Floyd, a black man killed by a white cop, have persisted since May. He helped protesters and suggested, on social media, that the fighting is turning into a war in which “there would be casualties.”
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‘Antifa until the end’
On June 5, during a demonstration, he was accused of resisting arrest and carrying a loaded gun, but the suit was dismissed. In late July, he showed reporters his own injured arm and said he was shot when he interfered in a fight.
“I’m 100% Antifa until the end!” He posted on his Instagram account in June, referring to an unofficial network of activists who oppose groups they identify as fascist or racist. “I want to fight for my brothers and sisters! Even if some of them are too ignorant to understand what it means to be antifa. We do not want violence, but we are not going to flee from it ”.
Context:Meet Patriot Prayer, a far-right movement that has been involved in struggles with anti-fascist groups in the US.
Reese Monson, one of the leaders of the local protests who also helps organize security, said that everyone involved in protecting the local demonstrations, including Reinoehl, was trained to contain conflicts peacefully and that he was “excellent at it. “.
On social media, Reinoehl said he was in the military and hated the experience, although, according to officials, there is no record of him in the military. In interviews, he introduced himself as a snowboard builder and a professional. He leaves behind a 17-year-old son and an 11-year-old daughter.
After Reinoehl’s death, hundreds of protesters gathered outside a Portland police station, shouting the same slogans they have been using since May. The weather was calm until around midnight, but during the night police and activists clashed and one person was arrested.
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Protests
The night of the shooting began with a large crowd of Trump supporters gathering in the Portland suburbs. They intended to drive hundreds of flagged vehicles on the city’s highways, but many went to the Center, where anti-racism demonstrations have taken place. There, some of Trump’s supporters threw ink bullets at the crowd, who responded by throwing objects at them. Some fights broke out.
A video made tonight showed Danielson, wearing a cap from the far-right group Patriot Prayer, and Reinoehl on a street with other people. Someone was yelling “we have two here”. The author of the video, Justin Dunlap, said Danielson apparently made a move to grab something around his waist.
“He put his hand to the side, like he was going to draw a gun,” Dunlap said.
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But another video from the scene shows someone yelling that Danielson was taking pepper spray, a non-lethal defense device. In the video, the Trump supporter appears to use the spray at the same time as two shots are heard and he falls to the ground.
Portland has seen an escalation of firearms conflicts in recent weeks. On August 15, a person linked to far-right protesters fired two shots from her car, police said. A week later, during street fights, another far-right militant drew a gun.
