Federal judge declares mistrial in case against Portland leftist musician accused of biting, kicking federal officer during ICE facility riot

Korol, 38, of Portland, has been accused of biting and kicking a federal officer while being detained for interfering with a separate arrest. The 12 jurors deliberated for roughly eight hours before US District Court Judge Karin Immergut declared a mistrial after a unanimous decision was not reached, the Oregonian reported.

A tentative new trial date has been scheduled for June 16. The incident occurred on October 12, 2025.

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According to court documents, Korol was captured on video footage pulling a male protester away from federal officers who were attempting to arrest him. A Department of Homeland Security Federal Protective Service (FPS) officer pushed Korol out of the way, knocking her to the ground.

While on the ground, Korol allegedly kicked an FPS officer in the right leg. She was placed under arrest but resisted. During a struggle, Korol allegedly proceeded to bite the officer's left arm with her teeth, according to the affidavit. It took several federal agents to take Korol into custody.

Images appear to show Korol biting and kicking an FPS officer. Credit: federal complaint

Judge Immergut informed the jury at the beginning of the case that in order to convict Korol, they would need to establish that Korol had made coercive physical contact with the officer while performing his duties and that the contact had not been conducted in the course of justified self-defense. The judge said that forcible assault happens when someone intentionally strikes or willfully injures another person.

The foreperson informed Judge Immergut that it would be unlikely for the jury to reach a unanimous decision. The judge thanked and dismissed the jurors and said, "No case is easy. Certainly this case was not an easy one," according to the Oregonian.

Defendant Korol, a clarinetist for the Antifa-affiliated leftist "Unprecedented Brass Band," had arrived outside the ICE facility with her band to participate in the "Emergency World Naked Bike Ride" protest. Prosecutor Rykken described Korol's actions that day as "violent," and said that video evidence allegedly shows she assaulted a federal officer while interfering with an arrest.

FPS officer Carlos Perez testified at trial that Korol fell on the ground when he tried to keep her away from other officers attempting to arrest a subject, and then kicked him and bit his forearm. Korol denied the allegations and claimed her actions were taken in self-defense.

Korol, a clinical family therapist, told the Court that she never intended to harm anyone that day and headed to the demonstration to protest the Trump administration's mass deportation agenda.

This is the second anti-ICE protest-related case to head to federal trial since June 2025. The US Attorney's Office for Oregon has federally charged more than 40 demonstrators for a variety of offenses, including arson, assault of federal officers, and depredation of government property. Some of them have already been convicted.