Holly MatkinPortland, OR – A violent mob of rioters chased down a motorist and dragged him from his vehicle on Sunday night before viciously beating him and kicking him in the head, leaving him unconscious with a gaping wound.
The attack occurred near the intersection of Southwest Taylor Street and Southwest Broadway, just blocks away from the Multnomah County Justice Center, which has been one of several epicenters for the ongoing nightly riots that have plagued the downtown area for nearly three months, The Washington Post reported.
Police said that a Black Lives Matter rally was taking place in front of the Justice Center shortly for the assault occurred.
According to journalist Drew Hernandez, members of the group “began to harass and physically assault” the motorist and a woman he was with after the motorist tried to defend someone else who the group had allegedly robbed.
Video footage showed the motorist’s female companion being tackled to the ground at one point during the confrontation.
“He then began to drive away to evade them,” Hernandez tweeted.
TONIGHT: Here is what took place before the man crashed his car into a tree here in Downtown Portland
BLM thugs began to harass and physically assault him and his female partner in the street for defending someone they robbed
He then began to drive away to evade them pic.twitter.com/5oPev8Fiar
— Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) August 17, 2020
Video footage showed the driver repeatedly honking his horn as members of the group punched and kicked his vehicle.
One rioter positioned near the rear passenger side of the driver’s white truck fell to the ground just before the driver rapidly accelerated through an intersection.
Rioters screamed for someone to “get his license plate” as they chased down the street after him, the video showed.
“He crashed into a building!” someone shouted a moment later, as other rioters began laughing.
The group quickly converged on the crashed vehicle.
“Come here, mother–ker!” one member of the group ordered, just before the clip ended.
Another video showed the rioters pushing the driver away from his vehicle as he tried to leave the area yet again.
The violent mob shoved him to the ground and circled around him.
“You’re not leaving, bro. You’re not going nowhere,” someone said when the driver tried to get back onto his feet. “Sit your -ss down.”
Here are the moments shortly after the man crashes due to BLM harassment and before they knock him out in Portland pic.twitter.com/JcrJ5w3ty8
— Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) August 17, 2020
They demanded that he hand over his keys as he sat bleeding from the head while asking to speak with his wife, the video showed.
Another clip showed members of the group as they repeatedly punched the driver in the head and told him to “go to sleep.”
A rioter wearing a vest emblazoned with the word “security” delivered an “execution style drop kick to the head” from behind, severely injuring the victim, Hernandez tweeted.
A video clip captured the moment when the suspect delivered the ruthless kick.
Here are more clips of the BLM militant assaulting the man who crashed his truck pic.twitter.com/o2cdleIs9c
— Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) August 17, 2020
The motorist appeared to be immediately knocked unconscious.
A later video showed the bloodied victim lying motionless on the ground.
“That n—–r’s dead,” one bystander commented.
For law enforcement: this is the man who violently assaulted the victim tonight by multiple punches and a from the behind execution style drop kick to the head
He was wearing a security vest, had a gold watch on and curly hair as well
About between 5/10 and 6 foot pic.twitter.com/xSh9GUKK3m
— Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) August 17, 2020
Rioters began rummaging through his truck as the woman he’d been with began wailing and screaming.
“He got beat up because he tried to run people over when he was saving you, okay?” a masked man told her.
The camera then panned back over to the injured assault victim.
One bystander asked for someone to call 911 just before they rolled the driver onto his side, exposing the gaping wound in the back of his head.
“Shouldn’t try to run people over, n—-r,” one person said.
#BLM & #antifa militants violently assault man after car accident in downtown Portland. This kick to the head came after several heavy blows from fists. pic.twitter.com/pyLWFOniSF
— Kalen From Scriberr (@FromKalen) August 17, 2020
BREAKING: After causing a white man to crash his truck in downtown Portland, BLM militants then beat the man and knock him unconscious
911 has been called pic.twitter.com/zLyM4NoVJv
— Drew Hernandez (@livesmattershow) August 17, 2020
Someone dumped water on the victim’s head while they waited for first responders to arrive, the video showed.
Police in riot gear encountered a “hostile crowd” when they arrived at the scene, Portland Police Sergeant Kevin Allen told The Washington Post on Monday.
“The report said protesters were chasing the truck before it crashed, and they assaulted the driver after the crash,” Sgt. Allen said.
The severely injured victim was rushed to the hospital by ambulance, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) said in a press release.
His condition is unclear.
Police said the crash and the assault remain under investigation, and that they have not made any arrests in connection with the incident.
Earlier in the night, rumors alleging that someone was driving around the downtown area trying to hit rioters began circulating online, but there has not been any evidence to support those claims, The Washington Post reported.
Sunday marked the 80th consecutive night of rioting in Portland, according to KDVR.
Sandy Malone
Christopher Berg