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U.S. police shot and killed a 48-year-old man as they moved to arrest him for the fatal shooting of a right-wing activist in Portland, Oregon, last weekend, authorities said.
Michael Reinoehl, described as an anti-fascist activist, was wanted on a murder charge when members of a fugitive task force shot him dead in Olympia, Washington, after he exited an apartment building and got into a car, according to the police.
“The suspect pulled out a firearm, threatening the lives of law enforcement officers,” a spokesman for the United States Marshals Service said in a statement. “Members of the task force responded to the threat.”
The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, which is responsible for investigating the incident, said it had not confirmed that Reinoehl was armed or if he fired.
“There were task force shots in that vehicle and the suspect fled the vehicle on foot and there were additional shots,” said Sheriff’s Office Lt. Ray Brady.
Portland police had issued an arrest warrant for Reinoehl and asked US Marshals to locate him.
“His ass got turned on,” passerby Jashon Spencer said in an online video. “I tell you, if everyone had heard it, it sounded like fireworks, there were so many shots.”
Reinoehl, who had provided security for the Black Lives Matter protests in Portland, was allegedly involved in the Aaron Danielson shooting on Saturday night, the Sheriff’s Service said.
The 39-year-old was among the supporters of President Donald Trump, who traveled in vans to downtown Portland and faced protesters protesting against racial injustice and police brutality.
Read more:
One dead in Portland shooting after protesters clash
George Floyd told police he couldn’t breathe 20 times
Portland has seen an escalation of clashes between right and left groups in recent weeks following nearly 100 days of protests since George Floyd, a black man, died in Minneapolis on May 25 after a white police officer knelt. on his neck.
Reinoehl died just hours after Vice News aired a video in which he appeared to admit he shot Danielson and said he acted in self-defense when a knife was pointed at him.
“I had no choice. I mean, I, I had a choice. I could have sat there and watched them kill a colored friend of mine. But I wasn’t going to do that,” he said in the video.
President Trump yesterday demanded that the police arrest Reinoehl.
“Why don’t the Portland police ARREST cold-blooded killer Aaron” Jay “Danielson? Do your job and do it fast. Everyone knows who this thug is. No wonder Portland is going to hell! “He tweeted.
Why don’t Portland police ARREST cold-blooded killer Aaron “Jay” Danielson? Get your job done and get it done fast. Everyone knows who this bully is. No wonder Portland is going to hell! @Justice @FBI
– Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 4, 2020
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