Snopes: Were Portland Protesters 'Kidnapped' by Federal Officers in Unmarked Vans?

[brooklynite]

MIXTURE

Claim
Operating under orders from U.S. President Donald Trump in summer 2020, federal agents used unmarked vehicles to "kidnap" Portland protesters and did not identify themselves as law enforcement during the apprehensions.

What's True
U.S. President Donald Trump had directed federal agencies to deploy officers in cities including Portland, Oregon, in summer 2020, and at least some of those agents used unmarked vehicles during the security initiative.

What's False
The use of the word "kidnapping" alleges that federal agents had committed a crime; however, no court or judge had said that was the case as of this writing. In at least one case, federal officials said they put someone in an unmarked van for questioning because they believed that person had committed a crime.

What's Undetermined
While one person said he was detained without officers identifying themselves — and another viral video was interpreted by viewers as a case of the same thing — we have no verifiable evidence to prove or disprove whether agents in those cases explained for what federal agency they worked during the arrests.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/feds-unmarked-vans-portland/

[HAB911]

1. yeah, I can't prove it but

I know it's true

[TheBlackAdder]

27. Actually, Snopes needs to update their entry. They detain people before a crime is committed.

.

See: https://www.democraticunderground.com/100213789045

Dufus 'acting' DHS Secretary Chad Wolf made the startling admission.

“The department, because we don’t have that local support, that local law enforcement support, are having to go out and proactively arrest individuals,” Wolf said. “And we need to do that because we need to hold them accountable. This idea that they can attack federal property and law enforcement officers and go to the other side of the street and say ‘you can’t touch me’ is ridiculous.”

https://www.rawstory.com/2020/07/trumps-acting-homeland-security-secretary-just-made-a-damning-admission-on-fox-news/

.

[lame54]

2. As long as they are given the benefit of the doubt...

They will exploit the hell out of it

[DSandra]

6. You give Republicans an inch, they will take it a mile

[louis-t]

9. It's like Barney Fife says

"Ya give 'em 40, they'll take 45. Ya give 'em 45, they'll take 50..."

[coti]

24. Right, you don't assume someone has authority to take someone until otherwise proven. It's the

other way around.

[ismnotwasm]

3. Even a mixture is atrocious

[Miguelito Loveless]

4. It's not just the vehicles that are unmarked,

the uniforms are as well.

[EX500rider]

13. All the pictures i have seen have had POLICE in large letters on their uniforms.

Any pics where they didn't?

[Miguelito Loveless]

15. Most of what I was saw was from behind

Also, I consider "Police" by itself, in the absence of specific affiliation, names, etc, to be deceptive.

[EX500rider]

20. That's all riot gear usually says on it. nt

[JonLP24]

21. They were wearing military style camouflage clothing

Not riot gear. The article also doesn't mention what crimes those detain committed or what the probable cause is. Like I said I hope they have good attorneys. I wonder what the ACLU thinks about this?

[EX500rider]

22. SWAT gear also usually just says "POLICE" in big letters. nt

[coti]

25. The word "police" is not identifying or a source of authority in any way.

They need personal identification and clear authority and purpose for their presence, PLUS probable cause or a warrant to arrest (as opposed to detaining) someone. And putting someone in handcuffs, throwing them into a vehicle and taking them to jail is not "detaining."

[EX500rider]

28. The photos I find of them do have "DHS" patches on their shoulder and POLICE across their chest

https://www.theepochtimes.com/portland-police-battle-violent-demonstrators-as-riots-continue-in-oregon-city_3423952.html

[MagickMuffin]

5. Sorry (not sorry) SNOPES you are WRONG

They are kidnapping citizens. Or . . . Would you prefer the term rendition?


The goons are placing hoods over the people they are kidnapping err, taking ever so gently off the streets, taking the kidnapped victims for a joy ride, then detaining somewhere.

[HotTeaBag]

11. Kidnapping is a crime committed by civilians.

What they are doing is legal and with Federal authority - you may not like it but it's not kidnapping.

It's not right, but it's legal - for now.

[MagickMuffin]

12. And . . . How do you know for a fact the goons are FEDs

They could be anybody with army clothes. Hell even I could buy the costume and play army.

They have no identifying anything. No name tags, No dept they "work" for. Nothing at all. Just military clothes.

So, tell me how you "know" that they are actually feds?

[brooklynite]

17. Because DHS has said so.

[MagickMuffin]

18. Well alrighty then, the DHS has said so

I believe everything this Maladministration says. Hook line and sinker!

I love chum

[brooklynite]

23. Sorry - you're suggesting DHS is claiming responsibility for officers it didn't send to Portland?

[LeftInTX]

29. More like violation of the 4th amendment

illegal detention/arrest

[Solomon]

31. Wtf!? Legal?! Jeezuz. Did you miss civics class in school?

Legal my ass. Are you an authoritarian? What? If they have a uniform that makes it legal?

What the fuck!

[Kaleva]

16. Do we have the names of the kidnapped?

[MagickMuffin]

19. I don't have any names, but a couple of victims told what happened to them

Snatch off the street, in unmarked car/van, had hood placed over their heads, drove around for a while, and taken into a building, left in a room alone, then was asked questions, didn't answer, asked for a lawyer, left alone again and then hooded again and drove around before being dropped off near the protest site.

That's all I have seen about the situation.

[Silent3]

7. I think it would be clear just from the speed of the actions taken seen in the videos...

...that there wasn't enough time for these thugs to identify themselves, or to explain what laws were supposedly being broken, and sure as hell not enough time for them to read anyone their rights.

When you add that on top of the lack of publicly displayed identification, the lack of official uniforms or insignia belonging to any officially recognized law enforcement agency, and the unmarked vehicles, Trump's storm troopers deserve no benefit of the doubt whatsoever.

If it weren't a big risk for getting shot, I'd recommend that protesters slash the tires of any of these unidentified vehicles, so the can't drive away with anyone.

[Mr. Ected]

8. I seem to remember another offense called False Imprisonment

False imprisonment occurs when a person (who doesn't have legal authority or justification) intentionally restrains another person's ability to move freely. This can also be called unlawful imprisonment in the first degree and is detailed in the penal code for your state.

We have yet to find out who these people are, so the question whether they actually have legal authority or justification is still up in the air - judicially. In reality, it's quite clear that neither threshold has been met or will be met.

[Fozzledick]

10. I believe the technical term is "disappearance into night and fog".

[JonLP24]

14. Personally I hope whoever is "detained" by these mysterious officers has a really good lawyer

Sorry not going to agree with a Trump policy.

[ProfessorGAC]

26. Snopes Is Parsing

Ok, it's not kidnapping as defined by law.
That doesn't mean they're not abducting/apprehending people, possibly without cause.
They're doing "angels on the head of a pin" spinning.

[blogslut]

30. What's your point?