Woman accused of driving drunk faces hate crime charge against police, Oregon cops say
A woman accused of driving drunk is facing a hate crime charge after threatening female police officers based on their race and gender, Oregon officials say.
Police responded to a car wreck in North Portland on Saturday, July 30 at around 6 p.m., the Portland Police Bureau said in a news release.
Upon arrival, officers found a flipped Nissan Altima, police said. Two adult passengers had minor injuries, while another adult and 5-year-old looked unharmed.
One of the injured passengers, a 27-year-old man from Portland, tried to leave the scene, police said. Police believed he may have been the driver and asked him to stay, but he refused.
Officers went to arrest the man, but two other occupants, a 33-year-old man and 35-year-old woman both from Portland, tried to intervene by pushing past officers, according to police.
The commotion caused neighbors to come outside, police said. Officers were soon “closely surrounded” despite orders to give them space.
The situation became hostile, according to police. Officers called for assistance and additional officers, and “as many as 16 officers and sergeants” arrived.
Despite attempts to “calm the situation,” the female passenger began to target “a female sergeant and a female officer, threatening to assault them because of her perception of their race and gender,” according to police.
The female officers tried to move away from the woman, “but she continued advancing on them in a physically threatening manner,” police said.
The woman and the two male passengers were cited, according to police. The child was reunited with a parent.
Police said they learned that the woman was the driver of the Nissan that hit a parked car while turning a corner, causing the car to flip.
“Alcohol and speed were factors in the crash,” according to police.
The woman is facing charges of bias crime, DUI-alcohol and menacing, police said. Both men were given a criminal citation on a charge of interfering with a peace officer.
This story was originally published August 2, 2022 at 4:27 PM with the headline "Woman accused of driving drunk faces hate crime charge against police, Oregon cops say."
