Michael Reinoehl, a Portland self proclaimed Anti Fascist, was shot by police on September 3 near Lacey, WA (Yahoo). He had been wanted in connection with the slaying of a Trump supporter from the Patriot Prayer organization, Aaron Danielson, on August 29. Police say he pulled a pistol when officers approached to arrest him and they fired in self defense.

Surveillance video shows Reinoehl tracking the victim (New York Post) after noticing him on his way to the protests. Reinoehl killed Danielson with a .380 pistol. Whatever possessed him?

Attorney General Barr, commenting on the events Friday, said, “the streets of our cities are safer with this violent agitator removed.” That’s a rather harsh statement from the top federal justice official. Like the deployment of federal agents to Portland, his rhetoric exacerbates the situation. The ACLU is suing the Trump administration for that fiasco (UPI).

That Reinoehl was carrying a pistol to a protest is suspect and very irresponsible. The best protests are peaceful ones. Getting a break from the boredom of self quarantine to join the exciting running street battles with tear gas and riot police is understandable. But carrying a firearm is a recipe for disaster. Even if you think it’s just for personal defense it might get taken from you by someone else. If shots are fired during a protest police might return fire and innocent lives could be lost.