The Oregon State Police, who have been charged with maintaining the peace in Portland and its surrounding suburbs, have been “cross-deputized” by the federal government, a local news organization reported Wednesday. This means that those arrested by Oregon state police officers can be prosecuted by the United States attorney for crimes stemming from the ongoing unrest even if the local prosecutor refuses to do so, the Daily Wire reported.
KGW Portland reported that the Oregon State Police had been deputized earlier this summer, perhaps as part of a deal to draw down a federal police presence in the city. As an extension of the agreement, the Department of Homeland Security removed a number of federal agents from “elite” Customs and Border Protection units which had been protecting a federal courthouse from rioters if the Oregon state government agreed to provide ongoing protection for federal properties.
But it seems now that the agreement involves allowing the US attorney the opportunity to supersede decisions made by the Multnomah County district attorney who made note, early on during the unrest, that he would pursue only “limited prosecution” for certain crimes, including interfering with peace officers, disorderly conduct in the second degree, harassment, criminal trespass, and even “riot.”
The Multnomah County prosecutor’s office also said back in August that if a person is arrested for a “misdemeanor or felony crime that causes only financial harm during a protest,” they will be offered “conditional dismissal.”
The cross-deputization was issued by the US Marshals, with KGW saying that it “could allow state police to bypass the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office entirely when it comes to charges against arrested protesters.”
Federal officials would not reveal the full list of names they may prosecute even if the Multnomah County DA refuses, but federal officers did make a number of arrests while they were assigned to protect federal property in downtown Portland, including “trespassing on federal property, arson, assaulting federal officers, failing to comply with a lawful order and creating a disturbance.”
The Daily Wire also reported that it was possible that the federal deputization will permit the US Attorney’s office to investigate those individuals arrested for ties to larger, national organizations. Attorney General William Barr announced back in June that the federal government is treating Antifa as a domestic terror organization and is trying to get ahold of information about how the group organizes and moves money and supplies across state lines.
In recent days, President Donald Trump has leaned in hard on Mayor Ted Wheeler of Portland to bring the riots and protests, which have ravaged the city for nearly 100 days, under control. Wheeler recently became the target of riots when a group of people dressed in black attempted to set his condo on fire—forcing the mayor to announce that he would be moving out of the area due to concern that it would not be safe for his neighbors if he were to remain there. Trump has moved forward in threatening to intervene—and even defund—cities such as Portland and New York, which he considers to be “lawless.”
“My Administration will do everything in its power to prevent weak mayors and lawless cities from taking Federal dollars while they let anarchists harm people, burn buildings, and ruin lives and businesses. We’re putting them on notice today,” the president tweeted Wednesday.
The riots have raged on for more than three months since the death of George Floyd, who died of a fentanyl overdose, according to a recent report. The unrest has only been bolstered by the shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin, who had been wanted on sexual assault charges leading up to the incident.