Michael Forest Reinoehl, a self-described anti-fascist who provided security for Portland racial justice protests, appears to have targeted a participant in a pro-Trump rally, emerging from an alcove of a parking garage before firing two gunshots, one that hit the man’s bear spray can and the other that proved fatal, according to a police affidavit unsealed Friday.
Police found a single Winchester .380-caliber bullet casing on the street, a metal canister of “Bear Attack Detector” that had a “large defect” in it and a collapsible metal baton just north of Aaron “Jay” Danielson’s body, a detective said in the affidavit.
Danielson, 39, was pronounced dead at 8:55 p.m. last Saturday on Southwest Third Avenue, about 10 minutes after the shooting was reported. He died from a single bullet to the upper right chest, an autopsy found. The bullet was found lodged in his back.
During a search of Reinoehl’s basement rental unit in a Northeast Portland house on 92nd Avenue, police found ammunition of the same caliber used in Danielson’s shooting and clothing Reinoehl wore that night, prosecutors said. The search didn’t appear to have turned up the gun used.
Portland police obtained a warrant Thursday afternoon charging Reinoehl with second-degree murder with a weapon and unlawful use of a weapon. That night, four officers from three different Washington agencies shot at Reinoehl after he walked out of an apartment outside Lacey, Washington, and tried to flee as they moved in to arrest him. Reinoehl was hit multiple times and died at the scene. He had a handgun but Washington investigators said it’s not clear yet whether he fired it.
On Friday afternoon, a judge unsealed the affidavits for his arrest warrant and a warrant for the search of Reinoehl’s residence. The documents offer new details of the deadly encounter between Reinoehl and Danielson shortly after a car caravan in support of President Trump had left Portland’s downtown last weekend.
Several witnesses told police they saw Danielson holding a can of mace or bear spray and then heard two shots, the affidavit said.
Police found damage to the bear spray canister that was retrieved from the street, leading investigators to believe it was struck by the first of two bullets fired by Reinoehl.
Police slowed down video captured by a livestreamer of the shooting and said it appeared that a shot was fired, followed by an explosion of the chemical and then a quick second gunshot, the affidavit said. Danielson stumbled two or three steps before collapsing in the street.
Detectives found a loaded 9mm handgun on Danielson’s waistband and three magazines of 9mm red-tip ammunition in his right cargo pants pocket, the affidavit said. Surveillance video from the nearby Third Avenue parking garage showed Danielson holding a baton in his left hand and the bear spray in his right hand before the shooting, according to police.
Reinoehl is seen hiding in an alcove of the garage and reaching into a pouch or waistband as Danielson and a friend, Chandler Pappas, walk south on Third Avenue.
Homicide Detective Rico Beniga wrote that Reinoehl “conceals himself, waits and watches” as Danielson and Pappas pass him.
After the two men go by, Reinoehl followed them, walking west across the street moments before the gunshots were fired, police said.
Investigators said it appeared as if Reinoehl stood holding his gun with both hands extended when he fired. After the shots, his right hand remained extended and pointed at Danielson before he turned to run away, police said.
Both Danielson and Pappas were wearing Patriot Prayer hats, signifying their support of the right-wing group based in Vancouver…
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