( Breitbart )
Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler said he pepper-sprayed a man who confronted him at a pub Sunday night. The man allegedly confronted Wheeler as he left the pub and chastised him for not wearing a mask while eating.
Mayor Wheeler dined with former Portland Mayor Sam Adams at the McMenamins Hillsdale Brewery & Public House Sunday night. As the two men left the pub, an unidentified man confronted the mayor for not wearing a mask, the Oregonian reported Monday night.
Update: Here’s the police report filed by mayor Ted Wheeler over the pepper spray incident. He was confronted again while eating out. Document obtained by @maxoregonian: pic.twitter.com/QAVLWwGIst — Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) January 25, 2021
In a complaint to police tweeted by independent journalist Andy Ngo, Wheeler said the man, whom he did not recognize, confronted him and Adams as they left the pub. He said the man videoed him as he left the pub and accused him of sitting in a restaurant without a mask.
“I was in the tented area of a restaurant sitting at a table,” Wheeler said in the complaint. “I informed him the current COVID regulations allow people to take their mask off for the purpose of eating and drinking.”
“I indicated he did not understand the rules and should probably have a better understanding if he was going to confront people about them,” he continued.
Wheeler said he became concerned for his personal safety when the man, who was not wearing a mask, persisted in the confrontation and got in his face.
As the mayor attempted to walk to his car, the man came closer.
“He had no face mask and got within a foot or two of my face while he was videoing me,” the mayor explained. “I was concerned about contracting COVID given that he was right in my face that he was not wearing a face mask … I clearly informed him that he needed to back off.”
Wheeler said when the man refused to back up, he warned the man he would use pepper spray. Undeterred, the man continued.
“I pulled my pepper spray and I sprayed him in the eyes,” Wheeler stated. “He seemed surprised and backed off.”
Wheeler said he left the man a bottle of water to wash his eyes before leaving the scene. He said he immediately contacted city officials regarding the “situation.”
The investigating officer asked Wheeler if he recognized the man. He replied he did not. He described the man as a white male in his 40s who is under 6 feet tall. He said the man is of medium build and wore a dark, heavy jacket.
Earlier this month, a group of protesters confronted and assaulted the mayor while he dined at another restaurant, Breitbart News’ Kyle Morris reported. Several protesters appeared in a video to confront Wheeler. One of the protesters allegedly punched the Portland mayor in the shoulder.
BLM-antifa extremists confronted Portland mayor Ted Wheeler while he was dining out last night. Serial-riot arrestee Tracy Molina was part of the mob. Shortly after this video, he was punched. #antifa pic.twitter.com/hcVWJdJKcd — Andy Ngô (@MrAndyNgo) January 7, 2021
While running for re-election against a self-proclaimed Antifa candidate, Wheeler joined in a violent protest at the federal courthouse in Portland. He ended up on the receiving end of tear gas deployed by federal agents protecting the building, Breitbart’s Joel Pollak wrote.
In September, he ordered Portland Police Bureau to not use tear gas for riot control, Joshua Caplan reported for Breitbart. The order allowed police to continue using pepper spray and mace.
Police have not yet identified the man involved in Sunday’s confrontation.