Portland Woman Charged With Aiming Laser at Police Officers' Eyes, Justice Department Says

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) - A woman from Portland, Oregon, has been charged with targeting the eyes of police officers with a high powered laser, the US Department of Justice announced in a news release.

"Eva Warner, also known as Joshua Warner, 25, of Beaverton, Oregon, has been charged by criminal complaint with civil disorder, a felony, after targeting the eyes of multiple law enforcement officers with a high-powered laser during an 8 August 2020 riot in North Portland", the release said on Thursday.

According to court documents, in the late evening on 8 August 2020, a riot was declared at the Portland Police Association office on North Lombard Street in Portland after individuals broke windows and set fire to the office. The crowd also used vehicles and dumpsters to illegally block nearby vehicle traffic.

"Oregon State Police officers notified the Portland Police Bureau’s Rapid Response Team that Warner had directed a high-powered, green laser into the eyes of numerous law enforcement officers attempting to disperse the riot. Warner resisted arrest, prompting officers to use force", the release said.

Officers found a black, pen-style laser pointer on Warner’s person. Warner was taken into custody and later released. On 2 September 2020, she was arrested by the US Marshals Service in a southeast Portland apartment. If convicted, she faces up to five years in federal prison.