A man drove his car into a group of protesters in downtown Portland, Oregon, injuring three, and then attempted to escape, a police statement says.
The incident, which happened early Wednesday, occurred as protesters marched in downtown Portland as part of the weekslong protests calling for police reform. It mirrors an incident last week in Henrico County, Virginia, where a man was arrested after he allegedly drove his car through a Black Lives Matter march.
Anthony Eaglehorse-Lassandro, 27, came upon a crowd of protesters just after 1 a.m. ET near Southwest 3rd Avenue near Alder Street in his car, police say. Eaglehorse-Lassandro then drove into the crowd, striking several demonstrators, driving off at “a high rate of speed,” and going the wrong way on streets, the statement adds.
Eaglehorse-Lassandro injured three people but all had injuries that, police say, “are believed to be non-life threatening.” Two were taken to the hospital by ambulance and one patient was taken for treatment in a personal car, police said.
After Eaglehorse-Lassandro fled the scene, police in aircraft “were able to watch the vehicle and provide location updates as the suspect vehicle drove recklessly,” the statement said.
Eventually, he was arrested after he hit another car, a barrier, and tried to flee on foot, police say.
Eaglehorse-Lassandro was arrested on counts that include “Felony Hit and Run,” “Reckless Driving”, and “Possession of a Controlled Substance,” jail records show. It is unclear whether he has a lawyer.
This was the only arrest related to the evening’s protests, police say.