PORTLAND, Ore. – An Indiana man pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court for intentionally jeopardizing the lives of police officers, destroying public property, and encouraging others to commit violence during protests in Portland.
Malik Muhammad, 25, pleaded guilty to two counts of possessing unregistered destructive devices.
Court documents say during the summer of 2020, Muhammad traveled to Portland with his girlfriend from their home in Indianapolis to violently engage in area riots.
On September 5, 2020, during a large civil disturbance in east Portland, a group of protestors were throwing Molotov cocktails, bottles, and commercial grade fireworks at officers. Police say Muhammad was present at the event and documents say he provided baseball bats to members of the crowd.
During another demonstration on September 21, one police officer reported seeing Muhammad light an object on fire and throw it toward a building. The object didn’t explode and was confirmed as a yellow glass growler with a Goodwill sticker on the bottom.
Two days later, protestors set fire to and broke windows at the Multnomah County Justice Center. Muhammad was seen again by police throwing a Molotov cocktail that exploded in front of officers.
On October 11, police were monitoring a protest in downtown Portland where people began vandalizing buildings in the area. Muhammad was scene using a metal baton to smash the windows of several buildings and he was arrested after a short chase. Police say he had a loaded handgun magazine in his pocket, and a matching handgun was found discarded near the location of his arrest.
Following his arrest police seized Muhammad’s cell phone and found messages where he bragged about giving baseball bats to rioters. His phone also contained a shopping list that included supplies to make Molotov cocktails.
The day after the demonstration on September 5, police found a discarded baseball bat with a Goodwill price tag not far from where the protests occurred. Investigators found the store where the bat was purchased and pulled surveillance footage of Muhammad and his girlfriend buying the bats along with several “growler” bottles.
Investigators discovered that Muhammad’s trip to Portland was not an isolated event either. They found evidence that he traveled to Louisville, Kentucky in August 2020 to meet with anti-government and anti-authority violent extremist groups for firearms and tactical training.
Possessing an unregistered destructive device is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison.
