By Mariane Angela
A Portland jury on Wednesday acquitted Angella Lynn Davis of Vernonia, Ore., of charges of second-degree disorderly conduct and offensive physical contact stemming from an October confrontation with independent journalist Nick Sortor.
Prosecutors said Davis, 47, chased and helped surround Sortor while brandishing a stick near an Antifa-affiliated encampment adjacent to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility, which has seen repeated protests and arrests, The Post Millennial reported. Sortor traveled from Washington, D.C. to document unrest tied to federal immigration enforcement policies.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Kevin Demer told jurors during opening statements that Davis “aggressively pursued” Sortor after he extinguished an American flag that had been set on fire. Video footage shown at trial captured a group dressed in black pursuing Sortor. Davis was identified as the individual in a black bird costume.
The footage also showed Davis moving in coordination with others while shouting, “Get the f*ck out of here,” before Sortor fell to the ground. Sortor testified that he was the victim of mob violence and and explained why he did not fight back.
“I don’t ever want to do that, especially when I’m way outnumbered,” Sortor told the court.
A witness aligned with Antifa and three Portland police officers also testified about the events. Judge Chanpone P. Sinlapasai presided over the three-day trial. Davis’ defense attorneys argued that Sortor provoked the confrontation. Davis’ defense attorney, Anthony Chavez, said Sortor is an out-of-state provocateur who came to Portland to “harass” and “doxx” protesters.
A second defense attorney, Benjamin Scissors, criticized Sortor’s credibility, portraying him as an online influencer who seeks to take down left-leaning activists. Scissors presented video footage showing Sortor defending himself at other protests in cities such as New Orleans and argued that protesters reacted after Sortor filmed them without masks, which could lead to harassment if shared online.
Another individual arrested during the same incident, Son Mi Yi, pleaded guilty in November after striking Sortor with an umbrella and agreed to remain at least 300 feet from the ICE facility for one year. Sortor was also briefly arrested that night, but prosecutors dropped the charges. He has said he plans to sue the City of Portland for wrongful arrest.
“This verdict is basically a green light for leftists to attack conservative reporters with complete impunity in Portland. Truly messed up,” Sortor told The Post Millennial following the verdict. (RELATED: Antifa Whistleblower Shares What Made Him Quit After 10 Years)
Davis celebrated the verdict in her favor. When reporters asked if she had any words to say, she replied, “Um, you two know what I want to say, f*ck ICE.”
Sortor was arrested by Portland police in October on a disorderly conduct charge, even as authorities did not arrest rioters targeting the city’s ICE facility. Fox News reporter Bill Melugin reported that Sortor had been surrounded and verbally threatened by protesters the night before and feared he would be arrested if he defended himself. Portland police later released him.
