A man has been fatally shot as violence continues to escalate across the United States following the police shooting of Jacob Blake last weekend.
On Saturday (local time), a man was shot dead following a clash between supporters of President Donald Trump and counter-protesters on the streets of Portland, Oregon.
Earlier in the night, a pro-Trump vehicle rally drew hundreds of trucks full of supporters into the city. A large number had travelled in a caravan through Portland's downtown, a site for frequent, sometimes violent, demonstrations following the alleged murder of African-American man George Floyd in May by a Minneapolis police officer.
The man, who local police say was shot in the chest, has since been identified as an affiliate of the right-wing political organisation Patriot Prayer by its founder. An Associated Press freelance photographer at the scene said the man was Caucasian.
''This is an active investigation and our detectives are gathering information to determine what happened and what led up to this death," Portland Police Bureau chief of police Charles Lovell told reporters.
A police spokesperson confirmed in a statement to Reuters that a homicide investigation is underway.
When asked by Reuters if the shooting was related to the earlier violence between rival protesters, the spokesman said: "It is too early in the investigation to draw those kinds of conclusions."
Authorities have released few details on the death, although a video of the shooting has reportedly surfaced.
Following the shooting on Sunday, Portland mayor Ted Wheeler blamed President Trump for the escalating violence.
''He has an opportunity to uplift us and bring us together to move through this difficult situation in our nation's history, and instead, he chooses to play petty politics and divide us," Wheeler said at a media briefing.
Trump countered, labelling Wheeler "a fool" and a "weak and pathetic Democrat Mayor" in a series of Twitter posts. He also shared a video of the caravan in downtown Portland and called his supporters "great patriots".
In July, the Trump administration deployed federal forces to Portland to crack down on the protests.
Unrest has also escalated in Washington DC, with protesters marching through the city, lighting small fires and engaging in a tense standoff with local police. Five have been arrested and five officers have been injured following the latest confrontations in the capital.
As reported by The Washington Post, demonstrators ignited fireworks and threw projectiles such as bricks, glass and smoke grenades at officers near the White House. Police responded with sting balls and tear gas.
"One of our members was transported to the hospital last night with vision loss after a rioter directed a laser into his eye. This is the sixth officer hospitalized since Thursday night," the police department said on Twitter.
The police department said in a statement that the police agency "will always protect the rights of those engaged in nonviolent First Amendment assemblies, however, those who engage in criminal behaviour and seek to cause harm to others will be held accountable".
Meanwhile in Kenosha, Wisconsin, daily protests have continued following the shooting of African-American man Jacob Blake by a local officer on August 23. The 29-year-old father is now paralysed.
On Sunday (local time), police supporters - some carrying the American flag - gathered in downtown Kenosha. The pro-police demonstrators applauded nearby officers, a stark contrast to the protesters campaigning against police brutality and ingrained racial injustice in America's judicial system and law enforcement.
Speaking to AP, one rally participant said they supported the police and National Guard as they would "get rid of this mess" in Kenosha.
Another said they had attended as a mark of support for President Trump, who will visit the Wisconsin city next week.
"I know a lot of people that are good that are in law enforcement, and there's people of all colour there in law enforcement that have a good heart and have pure intentions to help and serve the communities around them," said another.
"I think that people need to realise that [the police] are not all bad people and they're just trying to help... it's just the violence is unnecessary."
On Tuesday, two protesters were allegedly killed by an armed civilian during the demonstrations in Kenosha. A high-profile lawyer representing the 17-year-old shooter said on Friday that his client had acted in self-defense.
Demonstrations against systemic racism and police brutality have swept the US since George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was allegedly murdered on May 25 by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd's neck for nearly nine minutes during an arrest.
Reuters / Newshub.
