79-Year-Old Arrested Amid Portland ICE Protests as Police Crack Down on Nightly Demonstrations

PORTLAND, Ore. — One protester, 79-year-old Vernon Ragan, was arrested in the early hours of Saturday morning, November 8, after the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) activated an Incident Management Team (IMT) following an altercation, bringing the total number of arrests related to nightly protests in the South Waterfront to 66 since June.

Police Monitor Portland ICE Facility Protesters

PPB monitoring protest activity in Portland’s South Waterfront, close to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility on Friday.

At around 1:40 am, PPB activated an Incident Management Team (IMT), which is overseen by a Crowd Management Incident Commander (CMIC) who has several resources, including the Rapid Response Team (RRT) and Dialogue Liaison Officers (DLOs). Portland Fire & Rescue also assisted.

Acting as liaisons to demonstrators, DLOs in white uniform shirts are sworn officers with arrest powers, but they aim to foster communication.

PPB does not engage in immigration enforcement as outlined in  PPB Directive 810.10, but is still charged with ensuring public safety and enforcing state laws. Part of their role is to address criminal acts.

On Saturday morning, PPB arrested Ragan, of Portland (also known as James Stone), and seized a set of brass knuckles as evidence. He was lodged at the Multnomah County Detention Center (MCDC) on charges of Menacing and Unlawful Use of a Weapon.

PPB will continue to monitor protest activity. While PPB’s role is public safety and supporting constitutionally protected activity, it may also investigate crimes and conduct follow-up investigations into criminal activity later. When feasible, PPB forwards cases to the Multnomah County District Attorney for prosecution.