Oregon State Police [OSP] is in the process of investigating two violent conflicts between protesters from Black Lives Matter and Reopen Oregon groups on Aug. 15 at the Oregon State Capitol, including the alleged assault of several Black demonstrators.
A number of Black Lives Matter demonstrators have reported injuries from the altercations, including trouble breathing, back and neck injuries, and cuts, scrapes and bruises. One protestor ended up in the emergency room following the event after being punched in the throat. Julianne Jackson, a Black community leader, said that her neck and back were injured in the event and are still hurting weeks later. She also said that the altercation was traumatizing, taking a toll on her mental health.
There were no known reports of injuries from Reopen Oregon protesters.
This investigation continues as calls from elected officials to hold those who commit “violent crimes” accountable grow and as more conflict between alt-right groups and Black Lives Matter protesters occurs. On Sept. 3, more than 30 Oregon elected officials from the executive and legislative branches, including Governor Kate Brown, and more than 20 business and community leaders, such as the NAACP Portland and the Oregon Education Association, published a letter.
The letter reads “There is no place for white supremacy or vigilantism in Oregon.” It goes on to say that “All who perpetrate violent crimes must be held equally accountable.” Brown, who first released the letter, is closely tied to OSP through the governorship, as the governor appoints each OSP superintendent.
The Series of Events On Aug. 15
The Clypian has reviewed approximately 30 minutes of footage of the altercations from a variety of filmers and has compiled the following series of events, based on that and eyewitness reports including from our reporter on the ground.
Late in the morning of August 15, approximately 100 Reopen Oregon protesters gathered for a scheduled event on the steps of the Capitol. The event was hosted by The American Patriot Society [TAPS]. Speakers claimed that the COVID-19 statistics are false. They also told people that they do not need to wear masks or social distance, a claim that goes directly against the Oregon Health Authority, the Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization guidelines.
They had a permit for their event, however, such permits do not give organizers the exclusive use of the area. At the same time as the Reopen Oregon event, approximately 50 Black Lives Matter protesters gathered on the side of the Capitol steps for a sit-in. They had reserved the Capitol park.
Claire Snyder, the organizer of the sit-in, said that her goal was not to interfere or prompt any physical violence, just to be present. She stated that she thinks it is important to hear what people on the other side have to say and she wanted to set an example by listening.
“To understand my beliefs, I need to understand the beliefs of others,” Snyder said, adding that listening to all sides allows her to be compassionate.
In the thirty minutes prior to when the Reopen Oregon protest was scheduled to begin at noon, the first altercation occurred between them and Black Lives Matter demonstrators.
As the Black Lives Matter demonstrators sat on the steps near one of the marble reliefs, Rian Gayle, a Deaf, Black man who has been at many protests both in Salem and in Portland, can be seen on the video standing at the top of the steps. He stood behind the demonstrators performing the sit-in, waving a Black Lives Matter flag.
Members of TAPS’s “security team” stood nearby. Multiple people who were part of the security team were part of the July protest in Springfield which turned violent and in Portland in August when alt-right groups clashed with Black Lives Matter protesters. At least one TAPS member, Geena Shipman, was arrested for assault in Springfield and her victim, a Black Lives Matter demonstrator, was transported to the hospital, OPB reported.
Many on the Reopen Oregon team were visibly armed in some way, either with a gun, knife or mace. In the following minutes members of the “security team” moved closer towards Gayle, who continued waving his flag. One man placed his foot on or in between Gayle’s feet at the top of the steps and another man stood on his other side.
Around the same time, a couple of other TAPS members approached the group and they began to talk heatedly about permits. One yelled that the Black Lives Matter demonstrators were “breaking the law” and asked them to leave.
The TAPS members appeared to be unaware that a permit is not necessary to demonstrate at the Capitol. This is something OSP troopers have reiterated to Black Lives Matter demonstrators repeatedly at past demonstrations when they raised concerns about counter-protesters disrupting their events.
As this occured, several Black Lives Matter demonstrators can be seen walking up the steps to stand by Gayle. At this point one of the members of the TAPS “security team” appeared to touch or unzip the backpack of the BLM demonstrator in front of him. She turned around and a brief exchange followed between the “security team” member and the woman as Gayle signed to the TAPS member to stop.
This member of the security team has been identified as Corey Wyatt. Wyatt has an extensive criminal record. Most notably, in 2011, he was an accomplice to a white supremacist, David “Joey” Pedersen, who went on an interstate murder spree that left four people dead, including a 53-year-old Black man. Prosecutors say the rampage by Pedersen and his girlfriend, Holly Ann Grisby, was “part of a white supremacist campaign to purify and preserve the white race,” the AP reported.
Pedersen obtained a plea deal after Oregon State Police investigators failed to share information with the defense. With this plea deal, he negotiated lesser sentences for Wyatt and his wife, who were both accomplices before and during the spree, by supplying the murder weapon and a stolen car for Pedersen to go to California.
Wyatt has also been identified at alt-right events up in Portland. He was identified on August 22 when alt-right groups and Black Lives Matter protesters came into conflict at the Justice Center. A video from that day shows Wyatt front kicking a demonstrator. He currently has a pending criminal case for “fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer” in July, which includes a release agreement with the Lane County court prohibiting him from engaging in criminal conduct.
The scene remained tense, but peaceful, for a little while longer. One of the Black Lives Matter demonstrators, William Jones, talked to the crowd and someone began to sing “You Are My Sunshine.”
Wyatt repeatedly attempted to shift his foot and stand on or near Gayle’s feet during this time. Then Wyatt can be seen putting a forearm on Gayle’s back and pushing him forward. Gayle turns around and appears to shove him back. This prompted more members from both TAPS and the BLM group to move towards the conflict. There was a little more shoving and yelling from both groups.
Wyatt then shoved Jones, who had moved to the top of the steps to defend Gayle, and Jones shoved Wyatt back. Jones and several members of TAPS began to yell at each other. Wyatt then shoved another BLM demonstrator towards Jones, who responded by reaching out towards Wyatt.
At this point, Shipman, the TAPS member arrested in Springfield for assaulting a BLM protestor by pushing them down and causing a head injury, can be seen stepping in from the side. She proceeded to push Jones backwards, down the Capitol steps where he fell onto several Black Lives Matter demonstrators. At least one person said she was injured when Jones landed on her after being pushed down the steps.
Both sides continued to yell. Gayle and another Deaf, Black protestor moved towards the people who had shoved Jones down. Gayle began to push them back and someone tackled him from the side, as another BLM protester was pushed to the ground.
At this point, Jones can be seen coming back up the stairs. Wyatt, who is reported to be an MMA fighter, front kicked him.
More shoving and yelling between the two groups continued, but the physical conflict appeared to dissipate as voices could be heard calling for peace.
The focus of the Reopen Oregon protesters shifted towards their rally, which commenced shortly after the fight ended. At this point, one of the organizers told the crowd to not engage with the Black Lives Matter demonstrators and let them watch and listen.
“It seemed like we would be able to just be there and not have anything else happen,” Snyder said of her thoughts following the first altercation.
Interactions remained tense, but peaceful, between the two groups for just over an hour.
Then, a little after 1 p.m., Black Lives Matter and Reopen Oregon protesters formed two lines at the top of the stairs and began to yell at each other. The Reopen Oregon protesters told them to move repeatedly because they were blocking a booth and the BLM demonstrators said that people could walk around them and access it. People on both sides attempted to diffuse the conflict.
A speaker at the Reopen Oregon rally took to the microphone at this time. He told the crowd “please don’t give the media something” and suggested they move the booth. He told the TAPS members to disengage, but was ignored.
At the same time, Tyrone Jones and the apparent leader of TAPS, Tim Davis, faced off and began yelling at each other down on the sidewalk that runs in front of the steps. Jones and Davis at one point in the day discussed “fighting like men.”
The two stood close together when Davis then reached out and shoved Tyrone Jones, who shoved Davis back. Someone wearing a TAPS shirt then came in from the side and punched Tyrone Jones in the neck. More pushing followed.
Wyatt and the son of Tyrone Jones had been facing each other prior to the first shove and tense words appear to have been exchanged. When the fighting breaks out Wyatt momentarily moved away from him. Then in one of the videos, the livestreamer, a TAPS member, can be heard yelling “Corey! Agnarr [Wyatt’s MMA alias]!” She also appears to call Tyrone Jones a “Punk-a** b****” and a “stupid coward” a little while later.
Shortly after this, Wyatt can be seen on video punching the son in the back of the head. Tyrone Jones then went over towards his son and Wyatt punched him in the jaw, pushing him to the ground.
By this time the people standing on the steps had heard the commotion and moved towards the conflict. More people from both groups became involved in the fight and shoving, grabbing and punching can be seen on video.
Jackson, one of the demonstrators involved in the investigation, told the Clypian she entered the fray to pull out someone she knew who was screaming. As Jackson went towards her friend, a Reopen Oregon protester appeared to run up from behind and grab her head and throw her to the ground. The Reopen Oregon protester then used a similar move on another Black Lives Matter protester.
Taysha Hartzell, a young woman, had her wig grabbed from her head by someone who also grabbed her. The woman who wrestled with her then walked away with Hartzell’s wig, which the woman appeared to wave at the camera.
More shoving, grabbing and punching occurred on both sides, with several people ending up on the ground. One person threatened to use a can of bear mace on the people fighting while several people attempted to make peace.
People from both events eventually broke up the fight. Jackson told the Black Lives Matter demonstrators to disengage and move towards the gazebo in the Capitol park. The demonstrators followed this direction. A TAPS security volunteer told Jackson that they should keep the groups separate to keep OSP from coming out of the Capitol.
This was the last of the day’s conflict. The Black Lives Matter protesters sat in the Capitol park and listened to speeches. Meanwhile, the Reopen Oregon protesters finished up their speakers and walked to Starbucks in an attempt to enter the store and order without masks. When the group arrived, Starbucks had locked its doors to keep them outside.
OSP, Crowd Management and the Investigation
OSP had 15 officers in the building at the time, according to Jackson, who has had a series of meetings with them. They did not come out when either of the fights broke out.
Capt. Tim Fox said that OSP did not respond because the crowd was policing itself and the altercations were over quickly. He stated that the Capitol staff determined that their best course of action was to remain inside.
“We had minimal staff available and there were about 150-200 people [on the steps]….We assess each event and have to make operations decisions based on the safety of all, [including] our officers,” Fox said.
The lack of a response from OSP had varying reactions from people there. TAPS security members stated that they did not want OSP getting involved. Meanwhile, several Black Lives Matter demonstrators expressed their disappointment that OSP did not respond.
OSP has had varying responses to events at the Capitol over the last few months, something that Black Lives Matter protesters have expressed concerns about repeatedly. They have sometimes made the decision to engage with the crowds and other times remained in the building.
For example, OSP made the decision not to engage when armed counter-protesters gathered on the top of the steps during a Black Lives Matter rally in early June. In contrast, later that month, they sent troopers out when a counter-protester was surrounded by Black Lives Matter demonstrators and a yelling match broke out. OSP also formed a line between opposing protests on the Fourth of July.
Both Jackson and Snyder expressed that they believe that OSP handles protests differently when it is a Black Lives Matter demonstration versus other events. Jackson stated that she thinks that the lack of police response during the altercations “speaks to why people are calling to divest [from policing].”
“Only when people of color are being attacked have I seen that inaction [from OSP],” Snyder said in an interview.
Both women called on OSP to “acknowledge white supremacy” and “look at themselves and their biases.”
Fox stated that the organization does not have a “one size fits all plan” for demonstrations at the Capitol. He said that their main goal is for everyone to be able to exercise their first amendment rights safely and to achieve this they respond to different conflicts at protests in different ways.
OSP told protesters after these physical altercations that if they came forward with proof of injury an investigation would be started. Several people came forward and OSP opened the investigation into the assault in the days following. As of Friday, Sept. 4, the investigation is in progress.
The American Patriot Society was reached out to for comment, but did not respond.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly identified Tim Davis, one of the alleged assaulters, as Tim Smith. The story has since been updated.
