Portland Police Face Social Media Reports Of Wave Of Bias Attacks

PORTLAND, OR – Portland Police are working to get out the message that they take reports of bias crimes very seriously. They want people to know that, as with any crime, they investigate the report and, if there's been a crime, find whoever was responsible.

Officials are making a special effort to members of Portland's LGBTQ community.

They are fighting back against reports that there has been a wave of anti-LGBTQ violence and Portland Police have not taken it seriously.

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Officials say that is not the case. They say that while they have heard reports on social media alleging a wave of attacks, there have not been any reports filed with them.

The issue goes back to Sunday, Feb. 10 when Portland Police officers responded to a report that a person had been assaulted by Southeast 15th Avenue and Morrison Street.

They found someone who seemed intoxicated and appeared to have fallen.

The person was taken to the hospital to be treated and evaluated.

While at the hospital, the person filed a police report saying that they had been the victim of an assault.

It was not reported as a bias crime.

As detectives investigated, they began to hear that the victim believed that it might have been a bias crime.

Soon after that, they began to hear the social media reports of the wave of violence.

Officials say that they have received any reports of other crimes and that on the original assault report, they have not been able to find any evidence that a crime had occurred.

Despite that, detectives and others from the police bureau have been reaching out to members of the LGBTQ community to let them know that if anyone has any evidence of any crime they want to know.

File photo via Colin Miner/Patch.