Man filming police having coffee is recognized as wanted, and then arrested

Philip Schaefer

A Portland man who decided to film police officers having a cup of coffee Sunday morning in a Northeast Portland Starbucks was recognized by one of the officers as a man featured on a wanted bulletin.  Philip Stan Schaefer, 45, was promptly arrested and taken to jail.

He was accused of second-degree robbery and coercion in connection with an incident that occurred during a protest in connection with the death of Quanice Hayes, a 17-year-old boy fatally shot by a Portland police officer in February.  A grand jury found no criminal wrongdoing by the officer,.

But people gathered last week in front of the Portland Building to protest.

Schaefer had been sought following an encounter he allegedly had with a man outside the building during protest.

The incident had been caught on camera, and his picture had been used on a wanted bulletin issued by the bureau.

On Sunday, while Schaefer was filming police officers, one of the officers recognized him as the man on the bulletin, police said.

Teressa Raiford, with leader with Don’t Shoot PDX, said Sunday that Schaefer had done nothing wrong, and was defending an elderly woman being pushed by the other man.

She said Schaefer and the other man got into a shoving match, and Schaefer was thrown to the ground.

She wants anyone with footage of the altercation between Schaefer to contact the Lewis and Clark College branch of the National Lawyer’s Guild. She said she feels police are trying to criminalize activism in Portland, and that arrests of supporters for reasons that aren’t initially clear has her and others fearful for their safety.

By Tom Hallman Jr.

Source:   oregonlive.com

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