Trans Portland Antifa militant with history of violence appeals court judgement finding him liable in Andy Ngo attack

A violent trans Portland Antifa member has filed an appeal to overturn a 2023 court ruling that found the militant liable for a brutal attack on journalist Andy Ngo, senior editor of The Post Millennial. Sammich Overkill Schott-Deputy, formerly Joseph Christian Evans, who has a history of extreme violence, was found liable for assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Schott-Deputy was ordered to pay Ngo $100,000 in damages.

The case stems from a June 29, 2019 assault in downtown Portland, Oregon, where Ngo was beaten by a group of Rose City Antifa militants and other leftist activists while reporting on a protest. The journalist was left hospitalized with a brain bleed and sued Rose City Antifa, et. al, over the incident. The case went to trial at the Multnomah County Courthouse in July 2023, which resulted in three Antifa-affiliated defendants being found liable by default after they failed to appear in court, including Schott-Deputy. Schott-Deputy was the first person to physically strike Ngo on that day, which resulted in additional individuals carrying out severe acts of violence on Ngo, video evidence shows.

Schott-Deputy claims in the appeal that he was unaware of the lawsuit until after default. However, the high-profile seven-day jury trial was years in the making and received significant national media attention, both before and during the trial. Ngo's legal team wrote in its court filing that Schott-Deputy was aware of the lawsuit as early as 2019, and accused the defendant of "consciously ignoring" it. Additionally, Schott-Deputy publicly admitted to the media that he became aware of Ngo's civil action against him 2.5 years before the trial commenced on July 31, 2023, according to court documents. Ngo is represented by the Center for American Liberty.

The defendant was first reported stating in October 2020 that he "recalled hearing something about a lawsuit they'd been named in." He made these comments to the media while incarcerated in a New York jail over a separate criminal incident. Schott-Deputy later sought advice from counsel over Ngo's civil lawsuit in December 2020, which further revealed his knowledge about the case, per court filings.

In July 2020, journalist Andy Ngo attempted to serve Schott-Deputy with the civil lawsuit through a private investigator but was unsuccessful. As a result, Ngo was granted court approval for alternative service of Schott-Deputy.

Furthermore, Schott-Deputy was convicted of a felony in May 2022 for committing a violent act against another individual on the same day at the same protest, leaving the victim bloodied with a serious head wound, according to court filings, which state that Schott-Deputy was also the first individual to physically strike Ngo that day. Schott-Deputy pleaded guilty to the felony assault and was sentenced to 36 months of probation. Schott-Deputy violated his probation the following year and was incarcerated for seven days, court records show.

Schott-Deputy also appeared in Multnomah County court in December 2022, seeking to change his legal name from Joseph Christian Evans to Sammich Overkill Schott-Deputy. According to Ngo's legal counsel, both of his court appearances demonstrated Schott-Deputy's "ability to appear in court." Additionally, the defendant has admitted to using evasion tactics pertaining to criminal cases in several states, including Georgia and California, per court documents.

Sammich Overkill Schott-Deputy was found liable for assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress on journalist Andy Ngo

In August 2023, ten days after the jury reached a verdict in the trial, Schott-Deputy's legal counsel filed an appearance on behalf of their client for the first time. On August 21, 2023, Schott-Deputy filed a motion "to set aside default and submitted an accompanying affidavit," according to court filings. The trial court denied the motion.

"After nearly three years of litigation, the trial court correctly found Schott-Deputy liable for partaking in violent acts against Andy Ngo back in 2019," Ngo's lawyer, Dorothy Yamamoto, told The Post Millennial. "We are hopeful the higher court will confirm the trial court's ruling and not allow Schott-Deputy to escape justice. Oral arguments are slated to be heard April 10 and the court is anticipated to issue a decision shortly thereafter."

Ngo's legal team further stated in its brief and supplemental excerpts of record that Schott-Deputy's "documented confessions to the media and to the police regarding their knowledge of this action and evasion efforts further dilute their otherwise conveniently exculpatory claim of ignorance."

Also found liable in the case were co-defendants Corbyn "Katherine" Belyea and Madison "Denny" Lee Allen. They were both found liable for assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress and were each ordered to pay Ngo $100,000, which was the same ruling as Schott-Deputy's. Multnomah County Judge Chanpone Sinlapasai presided over the case.

An appeal hearing is scheduled for April 10 at the Multnomah County Courthouse.