A federal lawsuit claims Washington state police employed excessive force in the 2020 killing of Michael Forest Reinoehl, a fugitive wanted for shooting a right-wing supporter during protests in Portland, Oregon. The lawsuit, filed by Reinoehl's estate, contends that officers had no plan other than to use deadly force against him.
Reinoehl fatally shot Aaron "Jay" Danielson during a clash between racial justice protesters and a pro-Trump rally in Portland. The incident intensified tensions in the city, which had experienced weeks of protests following George Floyd's murder. Reinoehl was captured on video shooting Danielson, a supporter of the Patriot Prayer group.
Former President Trump publicly encouraged the pursuit of Reinoehl on social media. A federal task force attempted to apprehend Reinoehl at an apartment complex in Lacey, Washington, where he was shot and killed by four officers as he exited his vehicle. The lawsuit describes officers in "militia-style fatigues" racing through a residential area in unmarked cars and firing over 40 rounds, striking Reinoehl multiple times. The gunfire also endangered a child playing nearby and damaged property in the vicinity.
The image caption describes a crime scene in Lacey, Washington, where the shooting took place. A Washington state prosecutor declined to press charges against the officers involved.
The lawsuit asserts that the officers involved acted with excessive force and had no intention of arresting Reinoehl without causing him harm. Washington state and local police were part of a U.S. Marshals Service task force at the time of the incident. The involved agencies have declined to comment on the pending litigation.
This lawsuit follows another case filed by Danielson's estate against the city of Portland, its mayor, and the Multnomah County district attorney, which was dismissed last year. That lawsuit claimed negligence by the city in managing the escalating violence between opposing groups in Portland had contributed to Danielson's death.
