KEY POINTS

  • The arrests came after police responded to a shots fired report near the area
  • The victim arrived at a local hospital in a private vehicle
  • It wasn't clear if the shooting was related to a scheduled protest

Two people were arrested after police in Portland responded to a gunfire report near a protest site late Sunday, July 26, hours before demonstrators gathered for the 60th consecutive night in their effort to end racial discrimination and police brutality.

Authorities responded to report of one shot fired near Southwest Fourth Avenue and Salmon before 7:30 p.m. Portland Police took to Twitter and reported the incident, saying that one person is in custody.

Moments later, another individual was arrested in Lownsdale Square Park.

Demonstrators march to the federal courthouse in Portland -- to demonstrate against both racism in policing and the presence of federal law enforcements agents in the streets
Demonstrators march to the federal courthouse in Portland -- to demonstrate against both racism in policing and the presence of federal law enforcements agents in the streets AFP / Ankur Dholakia

“Anyone who interferes with police performing their duty is subject to arrest,” said the Twitter post.

Officers also claimed that one person with a gunshot wound who “seems to have been associated with the incident” arrived at a hospital in a private car, Oregon Live reported.

The victim's gunshot wound was non-life-threatening, said the Portland Police Bureau in a statement, through Fox News.

Witnesses told KATU that the incident started with an argument “between several different people.” Several guns were involved and “at least one went off,” they added.

What led to the shooting or whether it was related to the protest wasn't immediately clear.

Police also shared a photo of several loaded rifle magazines and Molotov cocktails that they have recovered in Lownsdale Park. A passerby pointed to the bag which contained the munitions to the authorities, according to the Associated Press.

The discovery came just hours after the two arrests were made, the news outlet added.

Portland's 60th straight protest drew around 1,000 people as they continue to gather amid the death of African-American George Floyd in the hands of ex-Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin on Memorial Day.

The protest started peacefully save for some who decided to throw fireworks toward the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse. Federal officers retaliated with “gas and crowd-control munitions,” said Oregon Live in a separate article.

Fireworks were again hurled at the courthouse shortly before midnight, sparking another tension between protesters and the police. Exterior lights of the courthouse were turned on, while police ordered the crowd to disperse and declared the gathering an “unlawful assembly.”

Federal police countered the crowd who were seen throwing glass bottles by lining in front of the courthouse and forcing people away with their batons and “what appeared to be pepper balls and pepper spray.” Several demonstrators were also reported to have been detained.

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