Nick Sortor was a conservative journalist who was reporting on the riots against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland. He was arrested at the scene on Thursday after a fight broke out. Sortor and two people were arrested. According to him, he punched back because he was attacked first and acted in self-defense.
After careful consideration and investigating the video clips obtained from the scene, the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office has agreed not to charge Nick Sortor with disorderly conduct. According to their statement, this is what they have to say:
"after a careful review of the investigation, including reports and video, we do not believe the crime of disorderly conduct can be proven against Mr. Sortor beyond a reasonable doubt."
However, the two people who were arrested along with Sortor were charged with disorderly conduct.
What did Nick Sortor say about his arrest in Portland?
Nick Sortor believed that he should not have been arrested in the first place. In his own words, he expressed:
"I should never have been arrested. I should never have been put through the ringer. And I shouldn't have the chief of police on TV slandering me during the day. Instead, he should be focused on pulling the rot out of this police department. And maybe this will make him think twice about, I don't know, the direction of the department is going."
Nick Sortor's attorney, Angus Lee, also had this to say:
"In the next weeks to come, that's when we will be pursuing a federal civil rights case against the Portland Police Department and we will be engaging in extensive discovery to get to the bottom of the relationship between antifa and the Portland Police Command Center."
District Attorney Nathan Vasquez also spoke about the incident. He wrote in a statement:
"Free speech does not include the freedom to commit crimes. It does not matter if an individual is expressing ideology from the left, right, or center... What matters is whether or not there is evidence to prove a crime was committed."
The Portland Police Department also issued its own statement regarding the arrest. It reads:
"Our enforcement actions are guided solely by law and probable cause, not by politics or personal characteristics. We are committed to upholding the rule of law equally and fairly, regardless of political affiliation, gender, age, race, or economic status... We will continue our efforts in the South Waterfront to investigate crimes, make arrests when warranted, and refer cases involving criminal behavior to the district attorney's office."
Nick Sortor's arrest does not end with him being let go without any charges. He and his legal team have decided to pursue a federal civil rights case against the Portland Police Department. Watch this space for more developments on the case.