A Woman Injured by Police Flash-Bang Grenades in Protest Last Year Sues City of Portland

Michelle Fawcett says flash-bang gernade caused "permanent damage," seeks $250,000 in compensation.

Michelle Fawcett

Michelle Fawcett today sued the city of Portland for injuries she says she suffered during an Aug. 4, 2018 protest against right-wing extremists.

WW reported last September that Fawcett had filed a tort claim against the city, the first step toward legal action.

In a lawsuit filed today in Multnomah County Circuit Court, Fawcett, 53, says she was protesting peacefully when Portland police allegedly shot flash-bang gernades into crowds of protestors, rather than into the air above them, as manufacturers suggest.

"By firing flashbangs directly at the crowd of protestors, rather than overhead as intended, PPB officers demonstrated an alarming lack of concern for the safety of Portland citizens," the lawsuit says. "PPB officers' conduct also revealed either a lack of effective training in the use of these munitions or reckless dismissal of that training."

Fawcett's lawsuit, filed by the Tonkon Torp law firm on behalf of the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, says one of the flash-bang grenades struck her.

"She suffered third- degree chemical burns, major impact wounds, and major soft-tissue damage, as well as mental and emotional distress as a result of the incident," the lawsuit says.

Fawcett is seeking $250,000 in damages.

Tim Becker, a spokesperson for Mayor Ted Wheeler, says the city doesn't comment on pending litigation.

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