Proud Boy Alan Swinney Arrested on Charges of Assault and Unlawful Use of a Weapon

The arrest occurred hours after President Trump told Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by” during Tuesday’s presidential debate.

Right-wing protester Alan Swinney at a rally in Gresham in August. (Sam Gehrke)
By Tess Riski

On Wednesday, the Portland Police Bureau arrested Alan Swinney, a regular at Proud Boys rallies, on charges of assault, attempted assault, unlawful use of a weapon, unlawful use of mace, menacing and pointing a firearm at another person.

The arrest follows a sealed indictment filed Sept. 11 by the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office. The arrest occurred hours after President Trump told Proud Boys to “stand back and stand by” during Tuesday’s live presidential debate.

Now unsealed, the indictment shows that the charges stem from two separate incidents: one on Aug. 15 in which Swinney allegedly injured another person with a paintball gun and unlawfully discharged mace, and another on Aug. 22 where Swinney allegedly pointed a revolver at another person amid a crowd of protesters during a Proud Boys rally in downtown Portland. (Swinney also faces a $1.2 million civil lawsuit stemming from the incidents.)

Swinney, 50, is being held at the Multnomah County Jail. Oregon Public Broadcasting first reported the arrest. Swinney is scheduled to be arraigned tomorrow, Oct. 1.

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