Suspect in fatal Portland shooting reportedly killed by investigators

Justice Department official says the man was shot as officers tried to arrest him

Shooting suspect Michael Reinoehl is seen during a protest at the mayor's house in Portland, Oregon on August 28, 2020. The Oregonian via AP

A man suspected of fatally shooting a supporter of a right-wing group in Portland, Oregon, last week was killed on Thursday as investigators moved in to arrest him, wo05-afghan-prisoners.

The man, Michael Reinoehl, 48, was killed as a federal task force attempted to apprehend him in Lacey, Washington, the official told The Associated Press.

Reinoehl was the prime suspect in the killing of 39-year-old Aaron “Jay” Danielson, who was shot in the chest on Saturday night, the official said.

Aaron Danielson was shot in the chest as protesters clashed with supporters of President Donald Trump in Portland, Oregon on the night of August 29, 2020. Danielson family via AP

Federal agents from the FBI and the US Marshals Service had located Reinoehl on Thursday after a warrant was issued for his arrest. During the encounter, Reinoehl was shot by a law enforcement officer who was working on the federal task force, the official said.

The official said Reinoehl had pulled a gun during the encounter and was shot by law enforcement.

The official could not discuss the matter publicly and spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity.

News of the shooting broke soon after President Donald Trump berated Portland police for failing to arrest Danielson's killer, saying, "Everybody knows who this thug is."

Reinoehl had described himself in a social media post as “100% ANTIFA”, suggested the tactics of counter-protesters amounted to “warfare”, and had been shot at one protest and cited for having a gun at another.

He had been been a regular presence at anti-racism demonstrations in Portland.

A Portland police officer ties a police line around the scene of a fatal shooting of Aaron Danielson near a pro-Trump rally on August 29, 2020 in Portland, Oregon. AFP

Police on July 5 cited Reinoehl on allegations of possessing a loaded gun in a public place, resisting arrest and interfering with police. On July 26, Reinoehl was shot near his elbow after he got involved in a scuffle between an armed white man and a group of young people of colour. The man who was carrying the gun, Aaron Scott Collins, told The Oregonian/OregonLive that he and a friend had just left a bar when they saw the group harassing an older black man. His friend began filming them with a phone, and the group confronted them, calling them Nazis, he said.

Reinoehl later that day spoke to an AP videographer. His arm was wrapped in a bloody bandage; he said he was on his way to meet protest medics so they could change it.

He said he did not know what had started the altercation between Collins and the group, but that several people had decided to intervene when they saw Collins fighting with minors.

“As soon as the adults jumped in, he pulled out a gun,” Reinoehl said. “I jumped in there and pulled the gun away from people’s heads, avoided being shot in the stomach and I got shot in the arm.”

Reinoehl also is wanted on a warrant out of Baker County in Eastern Oregon, where court records show he skipped a hearing related to a June case in which he has been charged with driving under the influence of controlled substances, reckless driving, reckless endangerment and unlawful possession of a firearm.

Police said he drove on an interstate at up to 178kph, with his daughter in the car, while racing his 17-year-old son, who was in a different vehicle.

Two protesters carry on a conversation while one is arrested by a Portland police officer in Portland, Oregon. AFP

Two protesters run from police while holding hands during a march against police brutality and racial injustice in Portland, Oregon. AFP

Anti-police protesters march toward the Portland east police precinct a day after political violence left one person dead in Portland, Oregon. AFP

A Multnomah County Sheriffs deputy points a less lethal weapon at anti-police protesters near the Portland east police precinct a day after political violence left one person dead in Portland, Oregon. AFP

Police detain a protester during a demonstration in Portland, U.S. in this still image taken from a video obtained from social media. TWITTER/Reuters

Protesters throw eggs at police during the nightly protests at a Portland police precinct in Portland, Ore. Oregon State Police will return to Portland to help local authorities after the fatal shooting of a man. AFP

Portland police take control of the streets after making arrests on the scene of the nightly protests at a Portland police precinct in Portland, Ore. Oregon State Police will return to Portland to help local authorities after the fatal shooting of a man. AP

A protester plays a banjo during the nightly protests at a Portland police precinct in Portland, Ore. Oregon State Police will return to Portland to help local authorities after the fatal shooting of a man. AP