Portland Suspect's Tattoo Helped Lead to His Arrest

Estranged sister of Michael Forest Reinoehl called police
By John Johnson,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 31, 2020 10:35 AM CDT
Suspect in Portland Shooting Had Gun at Previous Rally
Police in Portland, Ore., patrol the streets on Sunday.   (AP Photo/Paula Bronstein)

New details are emerging about the man suspected of a fatal shooting over the weekend during clashes between supporters of President Trump and counterprotesters in Portland, Ore. The Oregonian reports that Michael Forest Reinoehl, 48, has identified himself as "100% ANTIFA all the way!" in an online post. And at an earlier protest in July, Reinoehl was cited by police for possessing a loaded gun in public and resisting arrest, though the allegations were later dropped. More:

  • The victim: Aaron "Jay" Danielson, a supporter of the conservative group Patriot Prayer, was shot dead Saturday night, per the New York Post. “We love Jay and he had such a huge heart,” wrote Joey Gibson, founder of the group, in a Facebook post. Patriot Prayer was founded in Washington state in 2016, and supporters have made periodic trips to Portland to support Trump amid the George Floyd protests, reports the AP.

  • More on the suspect: Screenshots from the scene of the shooting showed a suspect with a tattoo of a fist on his neck. Reinoehl's estranged sister helped identify him to authorities, per the Oregonian. "On the one hand, this whole thing surprises the daylights out of us, because we always thought he is a lot of bark, not a lot of bite," she tells the newspaper. "But he's also been very impulsive and irrational."
  • From the right: So why were those July charges dropped against Reinoehl, wonders a post at Twitchy. "They let him him go. Portland owns all of this. All of it. (Mayor) Ted Wheeler owns all of this. All of it."
  • Trump: The president unleashed a barrage of tweets Sunday about the clashes and the turnout by his supporters, asserting that "the big backlash going on in Portland cannot be unexpected." The New York Times news story calls it "a remarkable instance of a president seeming to support confrontation rather than calming a volatile situation." Trump pinned the blame on his foes Monday: "The Radical Left Mayors & Governors of Cities where this crazy violence is taking place have lost control of their 'Movement,'" he wrote. "It wasn't supposed to be like this, but the Anarchists & Agitators got carried away and don't listen anymore—even forced Slow Joe out of basement!"
  • Strategy: The president "has seized on the social justice protests as a campaign wedge, attempting to tie Biden to 'radical' elements on the left," per the Washington Post. It also diverts attention from the pandemic.
  • Biden's take: The former VP will speak in Pennsylvania Monday on how Trump is making America less safe, reports Politico. Over the weekend, he accused the president of "recklessly encouraging" violence, per Reuters.
  • State police: They will be back on the streets of Portland to help local authorities.
(More Portland, Oregon stories.)

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