Well-known right-wing protester and Proud Boys member Alan Swinney was booked on suspicion of of a dozen charges in connection with protests in Portland last month, according to Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt.
Portland police arrested Swinney shortly after 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning -— weeks after an indictment was issued on Sept. 11, KTLA sister station KOIN in Portland reported.
The 50-year-old is facing 12 total charges, including multiple counts of assault. He also faces charges that include unlawful use of a weapon, pointing a firearm at another person and unlawful use of mace.
The indictment alleges Swinney fired a paintball gun at another person at a protest on August 15, according to the DA’s office. That paintball shot caused physical harm to the individual.
Swinney is also accused of unlawfully using mace or a similar substance against another person and attempting to assault others that same day.
He also allegedly used the same substance while attending a pro-Trump rally in Portland on Aug. 22. Videos posted on social media show he pointed a paintball gun at counterprotesters that day, at one point, firing off a paintball and hurting another person, authorities said.
A short time later, more videos were posted that captured Swinney allegedly aiming a real gun into the crowd. No shots were fired, but he is now facing charges stemming from the incident and his other actions throughout the day.
On Tuesday afternoon, Swinney posted to Twitter asking for people to donate to a fund in order to help him with legal fees.
“Help me fight these people,” he tweeted. “Every retweet makes a terrorist lose his or her mind.”
Swinney’s arrest comes the morning after the first presidential debate of 2020, in which Donald Trump declined to condemn violence from his supporters. Instead, he told the Proud Boys to “stand back” and “stand by.”
Asked about the comment Wednesday, the president said, ,”I don’t know who Proud Boys are.”
In early September, Swinney was sued for $250,000 after allegedly shooting a woman in the chest with a paintball gun during the Aug. 22 rally.
According to court documents, Meg McLain said she was peacefully observing a rally outside the Justice Center that afternoon. Shortly before 1 p.m., a man at the rally, identified as Alan Swinney, allegedly “opened fire” and intentionally shot her in the chest with a paintball.
In the lawsuit she filed on Monday, McLain says this caused her pain, discomfort, distress and interfered with daily life activities.
Court documents included a photo of a paint-stained jacket McLain was wearing at the time, along with a photo of a large, red welt on one of McLain’s breasts, which she says was a result of the paintball.
McLain attested that she quickly notified police of the incident but they did not arrest Swinney. Documents also included a screenshot of a social media post they say is from Swinney — in which he says, in part, “Whoever’s in charge in Portland can f—- all the way off. You’re not going to tell me how I can defend myself.”
The lawsuit alleged Swinney has shown a previous history of irresponsible gun ownership, such as “traveling to Oregon to organize substantial and purposefully violent rallies and events.”
The rally where the incident allegedly occurred brought out hundreds of people — eventually prompting federal officers to declare an unlawful assembly. This followed hours of dueling demonstrations between right-wing and left-wing protesters in the downtown area.
A rally organized by members of right-wing groups including Proud Boys was met by counterprotesters around 12:15 pm. Several afternoon skirmishes turned violent, with demonstrators hurling rocks and other items at each other and getting into fights.
One protester filmed a woman being punched allegedly by a member of the Proud Boys.