Multnomah County, Ore. (Sept. 8, 2025) — Chair Jessica Vega Pederson released the following statement today calling upon District Attorney Nathan Vasquez to release video footage to combat misinformation around an Aug. 26 incident in downtown Portland.
“First and foremost, my concern following the violent incident that occurred across the street from the Multnomah County Central Library on Aug. 25 is for those community members at the heart of it. This was a traumatic incident for everyone involved. We all want a society where everyone is safe to walk on our streets and people are held accountable for their actions.
"I recently saw security footage from the Central Library capturing one angle of the incident and had a similar reaction to the one shared previously by my colleague Commissioner Shannon Singleton: There seems to be a serious discrepancy between the video I saw, reports from library and security staff, and how this incident was reported by PPB and subsequently some of the media. To date, what has been shared publicly appears to rush to judgment around a serious incident involving young Black people despite the existence of video footage and statements that are more complicated.
"The public deserves transparency. I’m calling on District Attorney Nathan Vasquez to release the security footage from the Central Library so everyone can have a better understanding of this incident.
"A number of City Councilors have requested to see the video, and I believe the Mayor, Portland City Council, and Chief of Police all need to review this vantage point to better see for themselves the complexities behind what appeared to occur that day."