UPDATE. ON FEB. 10 after allowing a last minute “ambush” witness (Gresham cop Ryan Rasmussen) who was not even at the event, to testify against Strickland, “Judge” Thomas Ryan found Mike guilty on all 21 counts. He is awaiting sentencing.
When journalist and Second Amendment activist Mike Strickland was attacked by a large and dangerous mob on the streets of Portland, he did what many of us would have done. He drew his lawfully concealed handgun, warned his attackers to stay back and made every effort to withdraw.
He was quickly arrested by Portland Police who were sufficiently concerned about the mob that they were in riot gear.
The mainstream and far left media were quick to pounce on the story calling Michael everything from a “counter protestor” to a “racist” to a “Trump supporter.”
The cascade of lies has not slowed down.
Strickland was initially charged with menacing and released. The following day Strickland arrived in court for an arraignment with lawyers provided by the Oregon Firearms Federation.
There, the Multnomah County DA charged him with multiple felonies and Michael was hauled off to jail with a quarter of a million dollar bail placed on him.
There is no question that his treatment by the DA and the outrageous bail were a direct result of Multnomah County realizing that they had in their custody, a person who had, for years, exposed leftist politicians for the hypocrites they are.
Michael wrote for several conservative websites and maintained a You Tube Channel which exposed the truth about the far left in Oregon. His success at presenting the reality about Oregon’s militant liberals (and gun grabbers in particular) made him an irresistible target for the statists who control Portland and Multnomah County and they are determined to make an example out of him.
Perhaps the most in-depth and detailed reporting on Mike’s arrest can be found here, at Victoria Taft’s website. We think what you will read there will disturb and frighten you. Please take a few minutes to learn what happened to Mike.
Because of a generous anonymous donor, Michael was released on bond, but his battle is just beginning . He has been indicted on 21 charges including multiple felonies.
His legal bills will be staggering.
Michael Strickland did nothing wrong. His actions were those of a person who legitimately feared for his life and did what any responsible person would do to defend themselves. The fact is, after being victimized by thugs on the streets of Portland, he is now being victimized by the political elite who protect thugs in Portland.
Last year, Strickland was attacked, assaulted, seriously injured and robbed by an anti-gun, left wing activist named Skye Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald made a name for himself by lying to people about an anti-gun film project he was working on claiming it would be an unbiased “documentary.” When Strickland exposed Fitzgerald, Fitzgerald attacked Strickland and assaulted him and stole his cameras.
In spite of the fact that the attack was caught on video, Multnomah County refused to prosecute Fitzgerald. Strickland was unable to work for months due to his injuries. This story describes the event, identifying Strickland by a Facebook name he used “William Saunderson.”
OFF has received donations for Michael from all over the country, but because Multnomah County has chosen to bury him in false and frivolous charges, the legal bills are growing well beyond what was anticipated.
If Mike is convicted of a crime for what is clearly a case of self defense, the very idea of self defense in Oregon will be at risk. If you cannot use a lawfully owned firearm to defend yourself against a large crowd of dangerous thugs, your rights to self defense are over.
We are asking for any financial help you can provide to directly fund Michael’s legal bills. 100% of every dollar raised will go to Mike’s legal team, the Short Law Group. These folks are solid pro-gun lawyers and they have been working with OFF to keep the legal bills as low as possible, because like us, they understand the statewide implications of this important case. But nothing is free.
Donations can be made on our website and please be sure to pick “Oregon Firearms Federation” from the Donation Category drop down menu and note that your contribution is for Mike Strickland in the “This donation is in tribute to” text box.
We, and Michael, would be very grateful for any help you can offer.