The Oregon State Police was alarmed and concerned by reports accompanied a small video snippet of a larger event, that an Oregon State Police Trooper made a hand signal that some could interpret as racist or sympathizing with racist ideology.
The agency commissioned an immediate review of the event, which occurred during a protest at Oregon’s Capitol on Saturday July 4th, as OSP troopers were policing an event that attracted counter-protestors.
The body camera of the involved trooper was reviewed as well as the body cameras of troopers in the general vicinity. Information indicated the trooper had just witnessed two protestors engaged in a physical altercation in which one man was knocked to the ground.
Troopers arrested 50 year old Christopher Davis of Salem on charges of Disorderly Conduct and Harassment and he was transported the Marion County Jail. The man that was knocked to the ground recovered his footing and interacted with troopers in the vicinity (the portion of the video that is being displayed by the media and social media). An Oregon State Police trooper approached the man and asked if he was unharmed while simultaneously displaying the hand signal commonly associated with “okay.” The trooper was wearing a face covering and operating in a noisy environment. Another trooper advised the man they would be taking his information, which they did for a criminal investigation.
Link to YouTube footage of troopers body camera. https://bit.ly/3gypVut
Best available evidence indicates the trooper was simply checking on the victim’s status and used the universal signal to signify this inquiry, which the victim gestured he was, then patted this trooper and a second trooper on their shoulders in an apparent signal of appreciation. The Oregon State Police Trooper identified in the video did not engage in any white supremacy behavior, implicitly or explicitly.
