Minneapolis man accused of vandalism, throwing rocks at police during civil unrest in Portland
Portland police officers walk through the Laurelhurst neighborhood after dispersing protesters from the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office early in the morning on Saturday, Aug. 8, 2020 in Portland, Ore.[AP Photo/Nathan Howard]
A Minneapolis resident has been charged with engaging in multiple acts of vandalism and violence, including throwing rocks at police officers engaged in lawful crowd dispersal during a civil disorder event in Portland, Oregon.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office in the District of Oregon, a federal grand jury in Portland has returned a one-count indictment charging Adrian Ruben De Los Rios, 32, with civil disorder.
Court documents state in the evening of Aug. 5, 2020, a group of individuals blocked traffic on SE 106th Avenue outside of Portland Police Bureau’s (PPB) East Precinct. By 9:40 p.m., people began tearing off the boards that were protecting the glass windows of the precinct. Shortly before 10 p.m., an unlawful assembly was declared and PPB made public address announcements telling the group to leave the area.
An officer outside the precinct witnessed an individual, later identified as De Los Rios, throw several chunks of concrete at the building’s glass, as well as strike the building’s glass with a hammer. Afterward, the same officer saw De Los Rios place a two-by-four piece of wood into a trash can fire and leaning it up against the building. Other PPB officers reported viewing videos on the internet that depicted De Los Rios placing a two-by-four piece of wood through the exterior door handles of the precinct and ramming the doors with what appeared to be a four-by-four piece of wood.
Later, as PPB officers were dispersing the crowd, an officer saw De Los Rios throw multiple baseball-sized rocks at police officers. On one occasion, De Los Rios threw a rock ay the officer while holding additional rocks in his opposite hand.
De Los Dios was later located and taken into custody. Two more baseball-sized rocks were found through a search conducted on his backpack by officers.
The 32-year-old made his initial court appearance on Wednesday and pleaded not guilty to the charges. A two-day jury trial is scheduled to start on Dec. 22.