February 20 2021
Demetrus Batchelor claims officers broke his tailbone at a protest in June, harassed him in the following weeks.
A Portland man is suing the city, mayor and former police chief, accusing officers of fracturing his tailbone during a protest in June and harassing him in the months that followed with "baseless" traffic tickets, arrests and divulging information about his criminal past — including compelling prostitution — to fellow protesters.
The original incident happened early in the morning of June 4, after a racial justice demonstration in downtown Portland. The plaintiff, 34-year-old Demetrus Batchelor, had attended the protest and other demonstrations, attempting to "act as a calming influence" and to "deescalate situations before they turned violent," according to the complaint filed Feb. 8 in federal court.