The conservative journalist who was arrested over a fight with Antifa protesters in Portland is threatening legal action against the police department and other local officials.
The portion of the scuffle that was recorded on video showed Antifa thugs attacking Sortor before he threw a punch in defense. Police arrested three people, including Sortor, but a district attorney later dropped the charge against the journalist.
‘The arrest was made without probable cause and was clearly in retaliation for his efforts to expose the truth.’
On Monday, Sortor released a letter sent to the police department demanding an investigation into his arrest and also an apology.
“The arrest was made without probable cause and was clearly in retaliation for his efforts to expose the truth about conditions and activity in Portland to the broader public,” reads the letter from Sortor’s attorney.
“The decision to make this arrest does not appear to have been made by a line officer, but rather by or at the direction of a member of the command staff and/or a supervising officer,” the letter continues. “Such an arrest is unconstitutional and deeply troubling.”
The letter goes on to demand an apology within seven days and also the initiation of an internal investigation into his arrest.
“Even more concerning, this incident appears to be part of a larger pattern and practice within the Portland Police Bureau of suppressing and silencing conservative media and political activity,” the letter reads.
The letter concludes by threatening that Sortor would “proceed accordingly” if the demands were not met.
He also posted a filing demanding “all records relating to selective enforcement and COORDINATION with Antifa.”
Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images
The district attorney indicated in a press release Monday that his office did not believe there was enough evidence to prove Sortor was guilty of disorderly conduct.
The district attorney did not drop the charges against the other two people arrested. They were identified as 49-year-old Angela Davis and 43-year-old Son Mi Yi.
“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,” District Attorney Nathan Vasquez wrote in a statement provided to KOIN-TV.
A Blaze News request for comment to the city attorney’s office was not immediately answered.
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