PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A Proud Boy member in Portland has been arrested and faces felony charges in connection with an August 22 right-wing demonstration that turned into a violent brawl in Northeast Portland.
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office confirmed the indictment of Tusitala “Tiny” Toese on felony assault to KOIN 6 News Wednesday morning, although it has yet to be made public. The indictment was first reported by the Portland Mercury and then confirmed by The Oregonian/OregonLive on Tuesday.
The demonstration started as a right-wing activist gathering in the parking lot of a former K-Mart store near Northeast 122nd Avenue and Northeast Sandy Boulevard for an event that organizers called the “Summer of Love.” Several speakers addressed the crowd of more than 100 people, while some attending were dressed in tactical vests and some were wearing apparel associating them with the Proud Boys, a KOIN 6 News reporter observed.
Within a couple of hours, counter-protesters arrived and the event dissolved into a clash between opposing groups. A KOIN 6 reporter saw someone try to drive into the parking lot where the event was taking place, crashing and fleeing from the area.
Police said they saw people lighting fireworks, dispersing chemical spray, firing what appeared to be paintball and airsoft guns, and they saw property destruction. The Portland Police Bureau tweeted at the time saying they observed violence in a clash between the two groups and that “arrests are possible, now and in the future.”
The Multnomah County district attorney’s office confirmed Toese, 25, faces the following charges for his actions at the clash: three counts of second-degree assault, two counts of third-degree assault, two counts of riot, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon and two counts of criminal mischief.
Weeks after the August clash, Toese was shot in the foot during an anti-COVID protest in Olympia, Washington, according to KOIN 6 News partner the Portland Tribune.
