Molotov cocktail-throwing protester gets 10 years
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- An Indiana man will spend the next 10 years in an Oregon prison after admitting to 14 felonies, including attempted murder, during the Portland protests of 2020.
Malik Fard Muhammed, 25, was sentenced in Multnomah County Tuesday, DA Mike Schmidt said in a release. Among the 14 felonies were two counts of second-degree attempted murder stemming from violent acts he committed at four separate incidents in September and October 2020 in Portland.
On top of the 10 years in prison, Muhammed was ordered to pay $200,000 in restitution.
Muhammed arrived in Portland during the summer of 2020 with the intent of violently engaging in area protests, Schmidt said.
On Sept. 5 2020, Muhammed brought multiple Molotov cocktails and baseball bats to a planned protest near the East Portland Police Precinct building. He handed out bats to other protesters and threw multiple explosive devices toward police. One of those exploded and engulfed another protester in flames, seriously injuring the protester's legs.
Muhammed attended another planned protest on Sept. 21, 2020 at the Multnomah County Sheriff's Office, where he threw a Molotov cocktail at police officers. However, the device failed to explode, and was recovered as evidence, which was eventually used to identify Muhammed after an investigation.
Two days later, Muhammed was at a third protest, this time at the Multnomah County Justice Center. As officers tried to put out a fire set by a different protester, a Molotov cocktail, thrown by Muhammed, exploded and set the clothes of one officer on fire.
A few weeks later, on October 11, 2020, Muhammed was part of a protest near Directors Park in downtown Portland. During the march he used a baton to smash windows of the Oregon Historical Society, Portland State University and other businesses.
Muhammed was arrested and charged with attempted murder in April 2021 in Indiana before being extradited to Oregon the following month.