Man guilty of assault, other charges in Portland protests

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A jury in Oregon has found a member of the far-right group the Proud Boys guilty of assault, menacing and unlawful use of a weapon for pulling out a loaded revolver, firing paintballs and spraying bear mace at people during Portland protests last year. Prosecutors called Alan Swinney a “vigilante cowboy,” while Swinney and his lawyer argued he was acting in self-defense against “agitators” who wouldn’t stop harassing him. The 51-year-old Swinney was found guilty on Tuesday. The Oregonian/OregonLive reports the charges stem from August 2020 demonstrations that erupted nationwide after George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis.