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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 14, 2020)
A3 THE ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2020 Federal offi cers shoot Portland protester Trump sent offi cers to quell protests By JONATHAN LEVINSON Oregon Public Broadcasting Federal law enforcement shot and severely injured a protester Saturday night during demonstrations in front of the federal court- house in downtown Portland. Donavan LaBella, 26, was shot in the head by what friends and witnesses said was an impact munition. Videos of the incident posted online brought swift condemnation from some local leaders, including both of Oregon’s U.S. senators, who demanded answers from the federal government, and City Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty, who asked that fed- eral troops leave Portland immediately. Mayor Ted Wheeler, in a statement released just before 9 p.m. Sunday, called on federal law enforcement to abide by the same standards as Portland offi cers in using less-lethal weapons against protesters. In one video, LaBella is seen pushing a canister of smoke or tear gas away from his feet across the street from the Mark O. Hatfi eld federal courthouse. Moments later, LaBella returns to holding a speaker over his head with both hands. Shots of impact munitions can be heard, and LaBella collapses to the ground, dropping the speaker. In another video posted online, LaBella is seen on the ground unconscious and bleeding from his head before protesters pick him up and move him out of the way. In that video, federal law enforcement offi cers can be seen standing by across the street looking on. The violence Saturday night represents a dramatic escalation between police and protesters, who have been demonstrating nightly since Jonathan Levinson/Oregon Public Broadcasting Federal law enforcement offi cers during a protest against systemic racism and police violence in Portland on the Fourth of July. police killed George Floyd, a Black man, in Minneapo- lis six weeks ago. While Port- land police took aggressive measures early on, the last two weeks have been marked by a signifi cant increase in violence by federal offi cers assigned to agencies within the Department of Home- land Security as well as the U.S. Marshals that deployed to Portland, Seattle and other cities at the direction of Presi- dent Donald Trump. Desiree LaBella, Dona- van’s mother, said he suf- fered facial and skull frac- tures. He came out of surgery early Sunday morning and was responding to doctors. He was moving his arms and legs, Desiree LaBella said. “He was awake enough to give the OK to talk to me,” she said. “He’s had some facial reconstruction surgery. They’re just watching him right now.” Desiree LaBella said she planned to contact an attorney Monday for a possible law- suit on behalf of her son. She spoke to her son via computer late Sunday morning and said that while he was awake, doc- tors were monitoring his neu- rological condition and con- tinuing work to drain blood from his brain. Caitlyn Sakelik, one of Donavan LaBella’s close friends, said he had been standing in Lownsdale Square Park across the street from the federal courthouse when offi cers started shoot- ing impact munitions into the crowd. Sakelik’s husband, Elton Rosas, said the shooting was completely unprovoked. “He’s been completely nonviolent the entire time he’s been down there,” Rosas said. “He helps deescalate sit- uations. Out of all people, he’s one of the nicest kids you will ever meet.” The U.S. Marshals put out a short statement late Sun- day acknowledging a per- son was injured in downtown Portland. “We are aware of the inci- dent that happened on July 12 near the Hatfi eld U.S. Court- house where an individ- ual was injured while U.S. Marshals were securing the perimeter of the federal court- house,” agency spokesperson Nikki Credic-Barrett said. “The U.S. Marshals Service takes all injuries potentially arising from use-of-force very seriously. The incident is currently being investigated, and more information will be released as soon as possible.” On Monday, U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams said the U.S. Marshals internal investiga- tion from this weekend’s inci- dent has been referred to the Department of Justice Offi ce of the Inspector General. During a military brief- ing Friday, Trump indicated he sent federal law enforce- ment offi cers to Portland to quell the nightly protests over police violence, and claimed Portland police were incapa- ble of managing the protests themselves. “It was out of control. The locals couldn’t handle it,” Trump said, speaking to the acting head of Homeland Security Chad Wolf. “And you people are handling it very nicely.” The stepped-up force in Portland drew a rebuke from a number of elected offi cials on Sunday. Gov. Kate Brown called for federal offi cials to scale back their response to the protests. “The events of last night at the federal courthouse were the tragic and avoidable result of President Donald Trump, for weeks, continu- ing to push for force and vio- lence in response to protests,” Brown said in a statement. “The cycle of violence must end. President Trump deploy- ing armed federal offi cers to Portland only serves to esca- late tensions and, as we saw yesterday, will inevitably lead to unnecessary violence and confrontation.” U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley both called for answers from the federal government. “Given President Trump’s misuse of force against pro- testers outside the White House and elsewhere, the deployment of federal agents in Portland raises serious concerns,” Merkley said in a statement. “What was their mission? Did they abuse peaceful protestors? Were their uniforms accurately marked? Did they made the situation worse? What weap- ons did they use? Were they invited by Portland police or local offi cials?” Chief Warrant Officer Jon Wayne Hudson Jon’s final resting place will be at Willamette National Cemetery in Portland Oregon, with FULL MILITARY HONORS on July 17, 2020 at 11:30 am. SPOTLIGHT ON HEALTH Sponsored by Columbia Memorial Hospital Dr. Grecori Anderson, CMH Urology Clinic We are Safer Together A t Columbia Memorial Hospital, your health is our priority. Whether you are coming in for surgery or a medical appointment, rest assured, we are open to care for all your health and wellness needs, and we have precautions in place to protect you. NANCEE LONG Director of Communications Columbia Memorial Hospital We believe strongly that health should be YOUR priority, and we are dedicated to working as a team to care for you. By collaborating on your care and maintaining a high level of excellence, we want to become Safer Together. What can YOU do to be safer? To be Safer Together, you and your family should con- tinue those important health checks. Maintain a routine for healthy activities, and work with your providers to proac- tively approach problems that could impact your well-being. Here are some things you can do to remain safe in public and while visiting our facilities: • Clean and disinfect surfaces around your home and workspace frequently. • Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after entering and exiting a public place. • Keep at least six feet between yourself and others if you are in public. • Wear a cloth face covering over your mouth and nose when around others. • Stay home if you are sick. What can CMH do to be safer? CMH has taken additional measures to keep our patients and caregivers safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. • We are screening everyone who comes through our doors for COVID symptoms. This helps us ensure that guests and staff are safe. • All our operating room suites and emergency rooms are terminally cleaned each day, even if they were not used. This involves replacing linens and disinfecting all surfaces, including surfaces that may be covered during normal use, such as mattresses and bed frames. • Clinic rooms are cleaned between patients and deep cleaned every evening. • High touch points, including lobbies and handrails are thoroughly cleaned two to three times per shift. • All our staff wear protective PPE when caring for patients Columbia Memorial Hospital • 2111 Exchange St., Astoria, Oregon and in areas that are public or don’t allow for social distancing. How can we be Safer Together? As patients and community members, you can feel safe knowing that as you restart your health initiatives, CMH is prepared. Did you miss your colonoscopy? Get it scheduled. Did your child skip a well-baby visit? Call your pediatrician. Have you been feeling that something is wrong, but were worried about visiting a clinic? Please, please call us. We want to see you. Our commitment to you is that we are here for you—to keep all of us safer and healthier. As a community, we can regain control of an uncontrollable situation by collaborating on health. Whether it is more virtual options for patients, more community outreach and education or simply a follow-up call for a missed appointment, CMH pledges to be your partner in heath. We can all be Safer Together. ______________________________ Nancee Long is the Director of Communication for Columbia Me- morial Hospital. With more than 15 years experience in marketing and communications, she found her home in rural healthcare. Nancee and her two daughters moved to the PNW from the Chicago area five years ago. They enjoy the beach and all that the Oregon Coast has to offer. • 503-325-4321
