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Normandale Park shooting

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Coordinates: 45°31′49″N 122°36′25″W / 45.530355°N 122.607042°W / 45.530355; -122.607042
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Normandale Park shooting
The shooting location, photographed in 2018
Map
Shooting location at Normandale Park in Portland
LocationPortland, Oregon, United States
Coordinates45°31′49″N 122°36′25″W / 45.530355°N 122.607042°W / 45.530355; -122.607042
DateFebruary 19, 2022
c. 8:00 pm (PST)
Attack type
Mass shooting
Weapon.45 caliber handgun
Deaths2 (including a victim who died in 2024)
Injured4 (including the perpetrator)
PerpetratorBenjamin Jeffrey Smith
ConvictedPleaded guilty to all charges
VerdictLife in prison with the possibility of parole after 55 years.
Charges
  • 1 count of second-degree murder
  • 4 counts of attempted murder
  • 3 counts of first-degree assault
  • 1 count of second-degree assault[1]
JudgeChristopher Marshall

On February 19, 2022, Benjamin Jeffrey Smith approached and assaulted a small group of protesters, at the edge of Normandale Park in Portland, Oregon, United States.[2] He murdered one, caused the paralysis of another (who later died of complications resulting from the attack) from the shoulders down, and seriously injured three others, including a bystander who had approached to deescalate.[2]

The shooting took place near a demonstration for Amir Locke, a 22-year-old Black man who was shot and killed by a Minneapolis police officer and Patrick Kimmons, a 27-year-old Black man killed by Portland police during a 2018 altercation.[3][4][5]

Smith was arrested and charged with second-degree murder, four counts of attempted murder, and several assault charges in connection with the shooting. He pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to life in prison.[6][7][8]

Shooting

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On the evening of Saturday, February 19, 2022, several traffic safety volunteers had gathered near the intersection of NE 55th and NE Hassalo, near the southwest corner of Normandale Park,[5] for a “Justice for Amir Locke”[9] protest, in reference to the Black man who had been killed weeks earlier in Minneapolis while police executed a no-knock warrant on an apartment.[9] Several protests had been held in Portland in the weeks following Locke's death.[10] The night of February 19, a few people were providing traffic safety by re-routing vehicular traffic to avoid a protest march.[11][5][12]

Benjamin Smith confronted a group of armed[13] protesters and told them to leave and said he would shoot them.[13][14] People attempted to de-escalate the situation, but Smith pulled a .45 caliber handgun and fired at close range into a crowd of safety volunteers and struck five. An armed protester[13] fired back and struck Smith near his hip.[15][16][17][18][4][6][19][20][21][22][23]

At least 8 spent shell casings that matched the assailants handgun were found at the scene, as well as at least 1 spent rifle shell casing.[24]

Portland Police Bureau responded to the shooting and closed streets in the area.[19][25]

Victims

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June "T-Rex" Knightly,[26] a 60-year old woman, was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting. Four others were wounded by gunfire and transported to a hospital,[27] with one being struck in the neck paralyzed from the neck down as a result.[11][28][26][29]

The 32-year-old struck in the neck and paralyzed from the neck down, identified only as “Deg,” died on July 2nd, 2024 after requesting to be removed from a ventilator. It was ruled that she died of complications from a gunshot wound to the neck and her death has been listed as a homicide.[30]

Knightly had been an activist with Portland's racial justice movements[22][31] and was among a small group preparing to act as a traffic safety volunteer the night of the shooting.[10][25][20] She was struck by a bullet in her head that was fired at close range.[11][32][9][26] Knightly and others in the group that Smith initially approached were unarmed.[13][33]

Perpetrator

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Benjamin Jeffery Smith (born November 28, 1978) was 43 years old at the time of the shooting, he rented an apartment near Normandale Park in Portland. He had expressed animosity towards Antifa and Black Lives Matter and had expressed support for Nazis, Proud Boys, and Kyle Rittenhouse, the person who was acquitted of criminal charges related to the Kenosha unrest shooting.[15][6][26][11][7][13] In June 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) confirmed it had flagged Smith's behavior going back to 2006, and that the bureau had contacted him in 2021 about it. It was unclear if the FBI had ever warned local law enforcement, but the investigation was abandoned. He had also been convicted of criminal mischief and harassment in 2010.[34][7][35][36][33] Smith had been reported to law enforcement several times in the years leading up to the shooting, including by a relative who called a non-emergency line in May 2021 to report a death threat he received from Smith via Facebook Messenger.[37][34]

Arrests

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Smith was hospitalized in serious condition and placed under arrest; he was formally charged and was booked into jail facility on March 23, 2022.[15][16] The armed protester[13] who returned fire was initially arrested on assault and weapons charges, but the charges were dropped.[22][38]

Investigation

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Initial reporting the Portland Police Bureau claimed the shooting began due to a confrontation between an armed homeowner and armed protestors, however, none of the victims were armed and the shooter had gone to the demonstration which was down the road from his rented apartment. The statement was later updated to call the shooter an "armed area resident" but critics and advocates claimed the previous statement was a pattern of city and law enforcement officials misrepresenting racial justice protestors and part of a long line of recent scandals.[11] Teressa Raiford, executive director of Don't Shoot Portland, said about the mischaracterization of the shooter by police, "I believe that it was [done] to entice vigilantism. I can't think of anything else that could occur from that type of misreporting or misinformation.”[39] Several local organizations called for an independent investigation into the city on the spread of misinformation in the aftermath of the shooting.[39]

Pieces of evidence from the crime scene were removed, which caused some difficulty for investigators.[40]

Tension between demonstrators and officials persisted during the investigation. City leaders said they had difficulty obtaining information from witnesses, which some racial justice advocates said that was due to false characterizations about the demonstration and of fears of further violence or reprisal.[41] Sandy Chung, executive director of the Oregon ACLU, noted the "context and environment of threats and doxing towards Black leaders and communities who are fighting for racial justice, but also the allies of this work."[41] Chuck Lovell, the Portland police chief, said that shell casings, and possibly other evidence, was removed from the crime scene, which hampered the initial investigation.[42] A police department spokesperson said that witness who may have recorded the incident on their mobile phones did not share it with police.[38] Police investigators obtained GoPro video footage from a witness.[17] A victim shared audio and video recordings of the incident.[8]

The Medical Examiner's office determined Knightly's death was a homicide due to a gunshot wound to the head.[25] Police investigators declined to speculate on a motive in the days after the attack.[15]

[edit]

On February 21, 2022, Mike Schmidt, the Multnomah County District Attorney, announced Smith would be charged with nine criminal counts related to the February 19, 2022 incident: one count of second-degree murder with a firearm, four counts of second-degree attempted murder with a firearm, two counts of first-degree assault with a firearm, and two counts of second-degree assault with a firearm.[6][43][28]

The judicial case was presided over by Judge Christopher Marshall of Multnomah County Circuit Court.[13] Smith was represented by a court-appointed attorney.[37] A grand jury heard four days of testimony from 12 witness witnesses on February 28 and on March 4, 7, and 10 in 2022.[43] The grand jury voted to indict Smith, the shooter,[44] and on March 23, 2022, he was transferred from a hospital and booked into a jail facility, and the case information was available for public view.[43]

In a court hearing on March 24, 2022, Smith pleaded not guilty to the charges. He was held in a Multnomah County jail facility without bail[45][46] to await the criminal trial that was scheduled for April 2023.[47] In a court hearing on March 8, 2023, Smith pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, four counts of attempted murder, three counts of first-degree assault, and one count of second degree assault.[48][13][35] He was sentenced on April 18, 2023, to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 55 years.[8] Smith is currently incarcerated at the Snake River Correctional Institution in Ontario, Oregon.[49]

Reaction

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The day after the shooting, Portland mayor Ted Wheeler issued a statement that included, "While many of the details of last night's shooting near Normandale Park are unclear, we do know one thing for sure: Our community is dealing with the sadness of another senseless act of gun violence."[50]

Portland Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty said in a statement on Twitter, "While we need more information about what transpired, I can say that protesting for racial justice should never endanger those exercising their 1st amendment rights."[27]

Rallies to show solidarity with the victims of the shooting were held in Minneapolis and New York City on February 21, 2022.[51] Activists held a memorial for Knightly at Normandale Park on February 22, 2022. Activists left tributes to her and set up a makeshift memorial and encampment at a pavilion in the park.[52][12][18]

Many of the deceased victim's friends and local advocates called the shooting "predictable" due to the history of far-right gathering and violent protests held in Portland in the past year. Some also highlighted the city's history of White supremacy and race crimes.[11]

The Legislative BIPOC Caucus of the Oregon Legislative Assembly said in a statement, “We cannot normalize violence towards our neighbors exercising their First Amendment right to peacefully gather. This weekend, we saw the fatal result of irresponsible rhetoric that villainizes those exercising the right to peaceful protest for racial justice."[53]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Portland man pleads guilty to murder, other charges in 2022 Normandale Park mass shooting". The Oregonian. March 8, 2023. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
  2. ^ a b "1 dead, 5 injured in shooting near Normandale Park in Northeast Portland". Oregon Public Broadcasting. February 20, 2022. Retrieved February 20, 2022.
  3. ^ Baumhardt, Alexandra; Timsit, Annabelle (February 20, 2022). "One dead, five injured in shooting in Portland, Ore., near site of protests against police violence". Washington Post. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Olmos, Sergio; Ramzy, Austin; Delkic, Melina (February 20, 2022). "One Dead in Shooting at Portland Protest Against Police Violence". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  5. ^ a b c Bernstein, Maxine (February 23, 2022). "Mass shooting at Normandale Park: What we know". The Oregonian. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d Bacon, John; Tebor, Celina (February 22, 2022). "Suspect charged in deadly shooting of protesters in Portland, Oregon; victim identified". USA Today. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  7. ^ a b c Sparling, Zane (March 8, 2023). "Gunman in mass shooting at Portland protest pleads guilty to murder". The Oregonian. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  8. ^ a b c Zielinski, Alex (April 18, 2023). "Man receives life sentence for killing 1, injuring others in Normandale Park shooting". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved April 18, 2023.
  9. ^ a b c Zielinski, Alex (March 24, 2022). "Remembering June Knightly". The Stranger. Retrieved February 24, 2022.
  10. ^ a b Spocchia, Gino (February 22, 2022). "Portland shooting: Suspect who ranted about 'commies' identified after activist shot dead at Amir Locke demo". The Independent. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  11. ^ a b c d e f Levin, Sam (February 27, 2022). "'Completely predictable': the Portland shooting and fears of escalating extremism in America". The Guardian. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Bernton, Hal (February 20, 2022). "An argument, then shots fired. Neighbor offers account of Saturday shooting in Portland". Seattle Times. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h Medina, Eduardo (March 10, 2023). "Oregon Man Pleads Guilty in Woman's Murder at Protest in Portland". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  14. ^ Parker, Ned; Eisler, Peter (August 9, 2023). "Political violence in polarized U.S. at its worst since 1970s". Reuters. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  15. ^ a b c d Olmos, Sergio; Cramer, Maria (February 23, 2022). "Man Charged With Murder in Shooting at Protest in Portland". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  16. ^ a b "Suspect in Normandale Park mass shooting transferred from hospital to jail". KGW. March 23, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  17. ^ a b Bernstein, Maxine (February 22, 2022). "Alleged gunman in Normandale Park shooting demanded protesters leave before he fired, affidavit says". The Oregonian. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  18. ^ a b "Campsite And Memorial At Normandale Park Growing After Mass Shooting". KXL-FM. March 1, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  19. ^ a b Bourgeois, Michael; Dowling, Jennifer; Campbell, Sam (February 19, 2022). "PPB: 1 killed, 5 others hurt in Normandale Park shooting". KOIN. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  20. ^ a b "Portland sees another record-breaking year for homicides in 2022". KGW. December 31, 2022. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  21. ^ "Police: 1 killed, 5 hurt in shooting during Portland protest". Associated Press. February 20, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  22. ^ a b c Conrad Wilson (March 8, 2023). "Protest mass shooter in Portland pleads guilty to murder and attempted murder". opb. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  23. ^ Mangold, Barry (March 8, 2023). "Shooter pleads guilty to killing 1, injuring 4 at protest near Portland's Normandale Park". KATU. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  24. ^ "Mass shooter, targeting anti-police-violence protesters in Portland, Oregon, kills one, injures four". World Socialist Web Site. February 22, 2022. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  25. ^ a b c Henderson, Jennifer; Watson, Michelle (February 23, 2022). "Suspect in deadly shooting during weekend protest in Portland faces several charges, including murder". CNN. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  26. ^ a b c d Crombie, Noelle (February 21, 2022). "Victim of deadly shooting at Normandale Park identified; witness says shooter fired 'immediately' on unarmed group". The Oregonian. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
  27. ^ a b Romero, Dennis (February 21, 2022). "One killed, five injured in shooting during Portland, Oregon, protest". NBC News. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  28. ^ a b "DA Mike Schmidt announces charges and arrest warrant for weekend shooting". Multnomah County District Attorney. February 22, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  29. ^ Isabella Garcia (March 8, 2023). "Accused Normandale Gunman Pleads Guilty on All Charges". Portland Mercury. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  30. ^ Oregonian/OregonLive, Zane Sparling | The (August 23, 2024). "The Normandale Park gunman left her paralyzed. In death, she took back control". oregonlive. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  31. ^ Briquelet, Kate (February 21, 2022). "Beloved Portland Woman June Knightly Mourned After Protest Shooting Nightmare". Daily Beast. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  32. ^ Crombie, Noelle (February 21, 2022). "June Knightly, who died in Normandale Park shooting, relished role of protecting Portland demonstrators". The Oregonian. Retrieved February 23, 2022.
  33. ^ a b Steele, Tim; Seymore, Jami (March 9, 2023). "Normandale Park protest shooter changes plea to guilty on nine charges, including murder". KOIN. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  34. ^ a b Levinson, Jonathan; Wilson, Conrad (June 16, 2022). "FBI confirms agents knew of alleged Normandale Park shooter; cousin tried to warn Portland police". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  35. ^ a b Sparling, Zane (March 8, 2023). "Gunman in mass shooting at Portland protest pleads guilty to murder". The Oregonian. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  36. ^ "Normandale Park shooter pleads guilty to killing 1, wounding 5". KPTV. March 8, 2023. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  37. ^ a b Wilson, Conrad (March 6, 2023). "Alleged Normandale Park shooter set to plead guilty Wednesday in Multnomah County court". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  38. ^ a b "Portland police: clash between armed homeowner and protesters sparked shooting". Reuters. February 20, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  39. ^ a b Asher, Abe (March 9, 2022). "How a deadly protest shooting deepened distrust of Portland police". The Independent. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  40. ^ Reynolds, Rosemary (March 15, 2022). "Normandale Park Shooting Evidence Removed Creates A Prosecution Nightmare". KXL. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  41. ^ a b Allison, Megan (February 25, 2022). "Activists voice concerns around police investigation of Normandale Park mass shooting". KATU-TV. Retrieved February 8, 2023.
  42. ^ "Normandale Park Shooting Evidence Removed Creates A Prosecution Nightmare". KXL-FM. March 15, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  43. ^ a b c Bernstein, Maxine (March 23, 2022). "Accused gunman in Normandale Park shooting transferred to jail on 9-count indictment". The Oregonian. Retrieved February 14, 2023.
  44. ^ Alex, Zielinski (March 23, 2022). "Accused Normandale Park Shooter Jailed on Nine Charges". Portland Mercury. Retrieved February 10, 2023.
  45. ^ Bernstein, Maxine (March 24, 2022). "Portland man accused in mass shooting near Normandale Park makes first court appearance". The Oregonian. Retrieved February 7, 2023.
  46. ^ Johnson, Destiny; Vespa, Maggie (February 23, 2022). "Suspect in Normandale Park shooting charged with murder, 4 counts of attempted murder". KGW. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  47. ^ Kirsch, Jeffrey (September 1, 2022). "Plea agreement may be in the works for suspect in deadly mass shooting at Portland protest". KATU-TV. Retrieved February 6, 2023.
  48. ^ Wilson, Conrad (March 8, 2023). "Protest mass shooter in Portland pleads guilty to murder and attempted murder". Oregon Public Broadcasting. Archived from the original on March 9, 2023. Retrieved March 10, 2023.
  49. ^ "Oregon Department of Corrections". SID number:18602987
  50. ^ Campbell, Sam (February 20, 2022). "Portland leaders: Normandale Park shooting 'heartbreaking'". KOIN. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  51. ^ Georgiades, Niko (February 25, 2022). "Minneapolis and NYC Rally in Solidarity With Portland Shooting Victims". Unicorn Riot. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  52. ^ Sparling, Zane (February 24, 2022). "Memorial honors woman killed in Portland mass shooting: 'A new and different level of loss'". The Oregonian. Retrieved February 9, 2023.
  53. ^ "Legislative BIPOC Caucus Statement on the Normandale Park Shooting" (PDF). Oregon Legislature. February 22, 2022. Retrieved February 6, 2023.

Further reading

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