Update: Sunday, July 5, 2:20 p.m.:
Oregon State Police [OSP] has concluded its investigation into a July 4 incident in which an Oregon State Police trooper used a hand gesture to communicate with counter-protestors disrupting a Black Lives Matter event. The symbol has been coopted in recent years to convey “white power.” OSP has announced that the trooper “did not engage in any white supremacy behavior, implicitly or explicitly.”
“OSP condemns all racist behaviors and does not allow white supremacist behaviors by our officers and staff,” the press release stated.
According to the OSP press release, the trooper in question was inquiring whether a counter-protestor was okay following an altercation that led to an arrest at the event. The trooper, who has not been identified by OSP, was not intending to convey support for racist ideology.
“I think that it is their job to know these things and be aware of the symbols they use and the environment they use it in…they made people feel vulnerable,” Gregg Simpson, a leader in the Black Lives Matter movement, said.
Shelaswau Crier, who assists in basic police training for officers across Oregon, including OSP, and is a leader of the Black Lives Matter movement in Salem, said that “certainly the state police should be aware” of the connotations of the symbol and cautioned when and if to use it in today’s environment.
“A hate symbol is not a way to deescalate tensions,” Crier said.
She discussed that officers should be kept updated on hate symbols and ways to identify hate symbols. She said that this is especially important when they are working at racial justice events, such as Black Lives Matter protests.
“We know that there have been calls by white supremacists to join the police force. It is not a far fetched idea that there are members of white supremacist groups within our police forces in Oregon,” Crier said in response to the public outcry to the video.
OSP has confirmed that the trooper in question was widely misidentified by the public at first. They have not released the name of the trooper who made the gesture.
Along with the press release they have also released body cam footage of the incident, from two officers involved.
Original Story:
A video has gone viral in which an Oregon State Police [OSP] trooper appears to be throwing a well-known white power hand symbol at Saturday’s Black Lives Matter rally in Salem. The gesture, an okay sign, is listed as a “symbol of hate” by the Anti-Defamation League. The counter-protestors at the rally included members of Proud Boys, Three Percenters, Boogaloo Boys, Patriot Prayer and other extreme right-wing groups. They had semi-automatic rifles, handguns, knives, magazines, bear spray and mace.
The counter-protestors were separated from the Black Lives Matter demonstrators by two lines of OSP troopers, facing both groups. The trooper made the gesture as he walked towards the counter-protestors, following an arrest. The trooper received a pat on the back from one of the counter-protestors, a man wearing a “Black Bikes Matter” shirt. The gesture had been used repeatedly by the right-wing counter-protestors throughout the event. There has been speculation over the identity of the officer, however, it has not been confirmed by OSP.
The video began circulating Saturday afternoon in Salem community organizing groups. The video was then posted on Twitter by the account @ToshiiLynn and, as of Monday at 2:27 p.m., has garnered 3.7M views. The video was also posted on Facebook by Salem Community Organizers and had 120k views as of that same time. Snopp Dogg posted the video on Instagram Sunday and has received 4.1M views.
This is not the first instance in which OSP have come under heavy criticism for the actions or inactions of officers in recent weeks. Members of the public have requested meetings with OSP leadership over concerns that OSP have been too passive in protecting the public from a group of armed agitators frequenting Black Lives Matter events at the Capitol. Today’s group of armed agitators was the largest yet.
Last month, an indigenous woman alleged that she was assaulted by one of the same counter-protestors at today’s event. The alleged assault occurred at the March For Floyd on June 6 more than ten minutes after law enforcement were notified of the armed counter-protestors’ attempts to instigate conflict. During this time, OSP were located inside the Capitol and could be seen looking out of the windows, but did not come outside until after the alleged assault had occurred and the Salem Police Department had intervened. Media who inquired about the assault investigation were told to file a formal public records request.
This past Wednesday, a quartet of OSP troopers refused to follow Kate Brown’s mask mandate when entering a Corvallis coffee shop. The officers were condemned by the public and chastised on social media by OSP. One of them is on paid administrative leave and an investigation is being conducted into the incident.
Captain Tim Fox of OSP has said that they are aware of video in which the trooper uses a white power symbol and it is being actively investigated. They have not announced whether the trooper will be placed on administrative leave while the investigation is pending. They have also not stated what disciplinary action, if any, will be taken.
Governor Brown’s office has been contacted for comment. This story is breaking and will be updated as more information becomes available.
