Antifa try to stop police responding to armed man in downtown Portland

An Antifa mob tried to stop police from responding to an armed man threatening to harm others and himself in downtown Portland on Friday afternoon.

Officers from the Portland Police Bureau responded to calls to the 300 block area of Southwest 4th Avenue after a 30-year-old man reportedly jumped from the second story window of the apartment complex, pulled out a knife and brandished the blade at people and cars passing by. According to police, the unnamed man is schizophrenic and threatened to kill himself.

Portland Police sent in its Enhanced Crisis Intervention Team but was interrupted and threatened by hostile Antifa protesters who had already been gathering nearby at Powell’s Books calling for Andy Ngo’s upcoming book to be banned.

“The extra noise and distraction made it impossible for the specially trained officers to speak to the man,” said the Portland Police in a press statement. “Officers implored the crowd to stop interfering, but their energy only increased.”

Police say the suicidal man's mother arrived on scene and pleaded with the mob to disperse but they ignored her. The escalating incident forced police to call in additional riot resources from the North and East Precincts to create a buffer zone between police and hostile protesters. This caused a major backlog in police responses to other emergency calls.

After more than three hours of a failing negotiation, police moved in to take the man into custody using a barking K9 unit as a distraction. The man was tased, but was uninjured. However, in response, Antifa nearly rioted in the street.

“They just sicced dogs on a man in a mental health crisis!” screamed one of the protesters who was being pushed back by police as others attempted to rush the line.

The man was not bitten by dogs in the K9 unit. He was taken to a local hospital for a mental health evaluation. Police made no arrests.