PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A horrifying attack caught on video left the driver of a pickup truck unconscious and at the hospital after he was kicked in the head blocks away from where the bulk of protesters gathered Sunday night.
The social media videos also caught the attention of Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt, who said, “Assaults will not be tolerated in our community. The videos recently posted to social media that show a person being violently pushed to the ground from behind and another person being kicked in the face are extremely concerning.”
Around 10:30 p.m., Portland police went to a crash at SW Broadway and Taylor after a white pickup hit a light pole. Officers found the driver lying in the street unconscious and bleeding, but not from the crash.
The social media videos show the driver was pulled from the truck, punched, and then while sitting in the street, kicked in the head by a man who ran up from behind. The driver immediately falls backwards and seems to be unconscious.
Authorities are looking into what led to the attack but multiple video show the driver was parked nearby earlier. The incident “was carried out in different locations and involved many different people,” police said late Monday afternoon. There was an altercation outside the truck and a woman with the driver was punched and jumped on.
That altercation, police said, may have been when the driver tried to help a robbery victim. The driver took off but was chased by people in the street.
Once the truck crashed he was pulled out and attacked.
Police told KOIN 6 News that the assault victim is alive and recovering from non-life threatening injuries.
“The actions depicted in these videos are universally rejected as wrong – and the actions are illegal. I condemn this violence. Assaults on community members and police officers undermine everything our community is doing to bring meaningful and lasting change to the criminal justice system and beyond,” Schmidt said in a statement. “My office is coordinating with law enforcement regarding their investigation into this type of assaultive behavior. Assaults and other violent crimes will be prosecuted when the evidence supports such action.”
Monday night, the mayor’s office released the following statement:
“I denounce all violence, including the assaults that were filmed and posted to social media last night. The work this community and others nationally are doing towards criminal justice reform and racial justice are in an effort to make our communities safer. Assaults like these make our community less safe.”
The investigation is ongoing and active. Anyone with information is asked to call PPB Detective Brent Christensen at 503.823.2087.