(AP) A jury has awarded an Oregon man more than $50,000 after he was shoved, pepper-sprayed and arrested by county deputies dealing with hundreds of protesters.
The Oregonian/OregonLive reported Friday that the 12-person jury found Multnomah County Sheriff’s deputies committed a battery and used “more force than was reasonably necessary” in their November 2016 arrest of then 27-year-old Jordan Johnson.
Johnson says he was on his commute home from work and was not participating in the protest stemming from the presidential election a few days earlier.
Authorities say Johnson was released from custody more than 12 hours later after the district attorney’s office decided not to pursue criminal charges.
Authorities say deputies were helping Portland police arrest 71 people who were throwing glass bottles or road flares and vandalizing property.