Police Look For Suspect After Assault

A police officer watched a woman walk away after an alleged assault—and let her go. That’s what happened Tuesday night in Portland, Oregon, just steps away from the city’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) building, and people are asking how something like this could even happen.

According to the Portland Police Bureau, it was around 8:45 p.m. when a “dialogue liaison officer,” or DLO, was monitoring a gathering outside the ICE facility in South Portland. These officers are sworn members of the police force, but they have a different role during protests. Their job isn’t enforcement. It’s to “hold a safe space” and talk with demonstrators.

That’s when things took a turn.

Someone approached the officer and reported that an assault had just happened nearby. The DLO then spotted the suspect: a White woman wearing a black mask, a backpack, and a noticeable septum nose piercing.

He followed her, tried to speak with her, and asked to hear her side of the story. But she wouldn’t stop.

So the officer told her she was being detained. Instead of complying, she ran.

And that’s where it all stalled.

The officer, because of his role, could not pursue her or physically stop her. Instead, he called for backup.

By the time patrol officers arrived—almost 15 minutes later—the suspect was gone.

The victim spoke with police, and an investigation began. But no arrests were made at the scene, and authorities still haven’t said what kind of assault took place. No charges have been announced.

The case has now been assigned to a detective in the Major Crimes Unit.

The Portland Police Bureau explained in a statement that sometimes arrests are delayed, especially when tensions at a protest are high. They say cases can be forwarded later to the Multnomah County District Attorney.