Additional arrests have been made at PSU’s library after trespassers illegally entered the building again despite efforts to secure it. Preliminary count is 30 arrests over the course of the day. Officers will continue to monitor for criminal activity and will make arrests when lawful and appropriate.
Today’s effort got underway at approximately 6:00 a.m., when Portland Police Officers from all three precincts established a crime scene perimeter around the PSU library in a coordinated fashion. After numerous announcements encouraging people to leave the library, officers then entered the building, moved to the top floor, then began a deliberate, methodical, and safety- focused clearing of the building. While officers encountered no resistance while clearing the top floors of the PSU library, they did encounter barricades, acts of vandalism including damage to the fire alarm system, and items which appeared staged for potential assault on officers sent to reclaim the space.
Over the next two hours, officers worked their way slowly and carefully through the building. When they reached the first floor, they encountered a heavily barricaded door, the opening of which required the efforts of several officers. Once open, officers encountered floors coated with paint and soap, or some other slippery substance. Officers encountered limited resistance, but one suspect deployed a fire extinguisher at an officer. That suspect was arrested, along with two others inside the building.
The remaining occupiers, having received repeated warnings and notice that they were subject to arrest for trespass, fled. Many of them were carrying improvised shields. One suspect attempted to strike an officer with a shield and was arrested.
As officers moved the arrested suspects into a custody van, a hostile crowd surrounded the van. Officers requested additional help from the Oregon State Police Mobile Response Team to move the crowd to allow the transport to leave. That required some uses of force as well, and the crowd followed the van all the way to the I-405 freeway, and participants even went on the freeway. Additional arrests were made.
At 9:30a.m., officers reported that the library building was cleared. Officers secured that scene to allow for PSU contractors to secure the building. That process took several hours and a hostile crowd remained on scene.
While officers assigned to assist with the operation did deploy some pepper spray. Some officers carried 40mm less-lethal launchers with orange shoulder straps. These tools are standard and issued to patrol officers who have been trained and qualified in their use. Their use is regulated by PPB use of force policy, but again no munitions were deployed.
PSU secured the library with plywood and erected a fence, and as planned, Portland officers left the scene. A short time later, PPB was notified that trespassers had torn down the fence and broken back into the library. Officers returned and ordered them out of the library; 8 more were arrested, including 1 by PSU Campus Safety.
Officers moved trespassers out of the park, which was closed. Some groups then began splintering off into multiple marches in the streets. Officers monitored the marchers from a distance, but they wandered away.
The identities of those arrested will be released once a full list has been completed.
Seven officers suffered injuries, the most serious was a knee injury that required ambulance transport to the hospital. Other injuries are still being assessed or were minor.
Photos and videos of today’s operation have been posted here: https://twitter.com/PPBAlerts .
This investigation is still in early stages. It is important to remember that although arrests are not always made at the scene, when tensions are high, this does not mean that people are not being charged with crimes later. Portland Police are continuing to investigate crimes committed in the library and will continue to make arrests when appropriate and forward cases to the Multnomah County District Attorney for prosecution.
Some wanted suspects are being sought. See related news release here: https://www.portlandoregon.gov/police/news/read.cfm?id=533461
If anyone has information about crimes committed or the identity of those who committed them, or video, photos, or other evidence, please e-mail crimetips@police.portlandoregon.gov and reference case number 24-105937.
photo description: Three arrested suspects in handcuffs seated inside the library being guarded by three police officers
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Original Message Below
The effort to clear the Portland State University Library is underway this morning. The Portland Police Bureau is closing several blocks around the library during this operation (see map). The closure is inside the bounds of Southwest Broadway and Southwest 11th Avenue, between Southwest Mill Street and Southwest College Street. Pedestrian and vehicular traffic is open on Southwest Broadway.
This is expected to be an operation that lasts several hours. PPB will be providing regular, ongoing updates on our event page on Twitter/X. Follow https://twitter.com/PPBAlerts for updates.
Photo description: Map of closure area around PSU Library
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Original Message Below
The Portland Police Bureau (PPB) is actively collaborating with Portland State University (PSU) to address the illegal activities at the university’s Millar Library. After a group of protesters departed from a peaceful First Amendment gathering and unlawfully entered the campus building on Monday, the PPB has been working in partnership with city leaders, other municipal bureaus, the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, and Portland State University to ensure a safe resolution.
It is important to emphasize that a tremendous amount of work is being done in the background to find a resolution to this event. Among those efforts, PPB and PSU administration have made numerous attempts to begin a dialogue with the participants. So far, our efforts have not been successful.
The Portland Police Bureau places an emphasis on de-escalation, and time is a key de-escalation tactic that we use whenever possible. If police action can be delayed to a time when conditions are safer, we will do so. An example of this occurred on Tuesday evening. A plan was in place to resolve the library incident. However, conditions changed, and the Incident Commander made the decision to delay for the wellbeing of all concerned. PPB members pride themselves on being flexible and thoughtful in their approach to the important public safety work we do, and this decision is further evidence of that.
A rumor has circulated that the planned operation was scuttled due to a decision made by the District Attorney’s office. That rumor is false. District Attorney Mike Schmidt and his team have offered their full support to PPB efforts to resolve the situation. Should arrests be made, we will continue to work with the DA’s office to ensure cases are effectively investigated and prosecuted whenever possible and appropriate.
PPB has received and is concerned about the reports of serious damage to the library and the blocking of exits. We ask that people in the library keep exits clear and refrain from damaging safety infrastructure so that in the event of an emergency exits remain open and operable.
“Portland Police personnel swear an oath to protect constitutional first amendment rights and we are committed to ensuring safety for all Portlanders who exercise their lawful right to assemble and express themselves, but as a city we will not allow criminal behavior that disrupts our community,” said Portland Police Chief Bob Day. “We will pursue all efforts at de-escalation, but make no mistake PPB will take appropriate action to do our part to hold individuals and groups accountable for their criminal conduct. I have the utmost faith that our PPB membership will continue to perform in the most professional manner.”
This is a fluid situation, and PPB is grateful for the patience of our community, especially the Portland State University community, as we work toward a tempered, methodical, and professional resolution to this matter.
We urge those who genuinely support the cause to clearly reject the criminal, threatening, and destructive tactics used in the takeover of the library, which is distinct from the peaceful protest that preceded it and continues outside. Those who choose to remain and engage in these unlawful actions risk arrest and prosecution.
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The Portland Police Bureau is attempting to identify more than a dozen people who fled from the PSU library.
On TPPB Needs Public’s Help Locating People Who Fled From PSU Library hursday, May 2, 2024, as PPB officers were clearing the library following a days-long occupation, 18 people fled from the building. PPB needs the public’s help identifying the individuals.
Anyone with information on their identities, or other information about criminal activity connected to this incident, is encouraged to contact the Portland Police Bureau via crimetips@police.portlandoregon.gov and reference case number 24-105937.Damage to PSU Library Fire Alarm System
Officials from Portland Fire & Rescue have entered and inspected the damage to the fire alarm system of Millar Library on the Portland State University Campus. Occupants damaged the life safety alert system within the structure and used some of the portable fire extinguishers within the building. While the alert system is damaged and not operational, the in-house fire suppression system remains intact and will suppress a fire along with alert Portland Fire & Rescue which will trigger a commercial alarm fire response to the location.
The occupants damaged the strobes and horns of the fire alarm system that designed for audible and visual alerts when activated. In addition to the alarm system, many manual pull stations have been activated and will require all engaged pull stations be returned to the ready position and the alarm is reset prior to the return of students or users of the library. In addition to damaging the permanent fire alarm alert system, many fire extinguishers were taken from their wall mounted cabinets and discharged which will also need to be replaced prior to reentry.
The smoke detectors and in-house fire suppression sprinkler system remain intact and operational which removes the need for a regular fire watch be performed by building representatives on site. Portland Fire is in contact with PSU personnel to inspect the system once repaired to ensure safe occupancy and use of the library. The building will be boarded up to prevent access until the fire alarm alert system repaired and verified as operational.
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