Sandy MalonePortland, OR – Portland police arrested an alleged member of the Proud Boys on Wednesday on assault and weapons charges in connection with some August clashes with Black Lives Matter and antifa.
Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt said 50-year-old Alan Swinney was taken into custody at about 6:30 a.m. on Sept. 30, KOIN reported.
An indictment had been issued on Sept. 11 after Swinney fired a paintball gun at anti-police demonstrators during a protest on Aug. 15.
Schmidt said that the shot Swinney fired caused physical harm to an individual, KOIN reported.
He is also accused of having pointed a firearm at people, unlawfully dispersing mace, and attempting to assault protesters.
Swinney is facing 12 charges total including fourth-degree assault, fourth-degree attempted assault, two counts of second-degree unlawful use of mace, second-degree attempted assault, three counts of an unlawful use of a weapon, two counts of second-degree assault, menacing, and pointing a firearm at another person.
This morning, authorities in Portland arrested Proud Boys member Alan Swinney. He faces a dozen charges, including assault, unlawful use of weapon, and menacing. pic.twitter.com/YA0HmcPENK
— Mike Baker (@ByMikeBaker) September 30, 2020
Numerous videos of Swinney waving a can of a mace-like substance at protesters and threatening them were posted to social media.
ANDY NGO: WHAT DO YOU THINK THAT CAN PROUD BOY ALAN SWINNEY, SHOWN HERE WITH HIS PROUD BOY TATTOO CLEARLY VISIBLE, CONTAINS? SILLY STRING? pic.twitter.com/iDwQNEF9i3
— Antifa International (@antifaintl) September 30, 2020
Other videos showed Swinney pointing a revolver, firing his paintball gun, and releasing a can of what appeared to be some kind of gas across the protest line at anti-police protesters.
Alan swinney pulls a gun on the crowd. No shots fired. pic.twitter.com/f0jKX6nmNv
— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 22, 2020
Meg McLain, the woman who was allegedly hit by one of Swinney’s paintball shots, filed a $250,000 lawsuit against him on Monday, KATU reported.
McLain said in her complaint that she was just watching the Trump rally outside the Portland Justice Center when Swinney shot her in the chest with a paintball.
Alan swinney shoots paintballs in the crowd. One paint ball hit this reporter, I point to press pass, swinney continues anyway pic.twitter.com/Hro9pPp6Rr
— Sergio Olmos (@MrOlmos) August 23, 2020
Swinney has also been named, along with Corey Wyatt and David Willis, in a $1.25 million lawsuit filed by three protesters and a photographer, The Oregonian reported.
The Proud Boys have said Swinney isn’t a member of their organization, but he frequently called himself a Proud Boy in videos and other social media posts for several years and was featured with leaders of the group in pictures at recent protests.
Online court records showed Swinney was scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday, KIRO reported.
Holly Matkin
