Federal judge dismisses wrongful death suit against law enforcement in shooting of Portland Antifa killer Michael Reinoehl

A federal judge has dismissed a $1 million wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of Michael Reinoehl, the Portland Antifa gunman who was shot and killed by the US Marshals Service Task Force following a multi-state manhunt in 2020. Reinoehl, 48, went on the run after killing a Trump supporter execution-style during a protest in downtown Portland. He was located hiding out in the neighboring state of Washington and was shot and killed after failing to surrender to authorities.

Reinoehl’s family filed the civil lawsuit in 2023, alleging that the officers on the task force, made up of federal, state, and local police, failed to properly identify themselves before firing more than 40 bullets at Reinoehl. The family claimed that the task force had no other plans than to use deadly force. US District Court Judge David Estudillo for the Western District of Washington dismissed the claims, ruling that the officers acted in lawful authority.

Reinoehl, who self-identified as a member of Antifa, shot and killed 39-year-old Aaron “Jay” Danielson in downtown Portland, Oregon, on August 29, 2020. He fatally shot Danielson while the victim was walking down the street with a friend following the conclusion of a pro-Trump caravan that was counter-protested by Antifa. Danielson was an affiliate of the conservative “Patriot Prayer” group, which is based in the Portland area. The killing occurred while the city was under siege from the nightly anti-police riots in the wake of the death of George Floyd.

The gunman fled the state of Oregon after killing Danielson in cold blood. He was located several days later, hiding out at an apartment complex in Lacey, Washington, roughly 40 miles south of Seattle. On September 3, 2020, officers from the US Marshals Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force confronted Reinoehl after he entered a vehicle outside of the apartment complex. Officers surrounded the vehicle and fired shots at Reinoehl after they had observed him reach for something. Reinoehl was an armed fugitive wanted for murder and was considered to be a public safety threat.

Reinoehl then exited the vehicle and ran behind it. Officers unleashed a barrage of bullets, striking Reinoehl until he collapsed in the street near a row of mailboxes. More than 40 shots were fired at Reinoehl during the operation. He was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy report found that he died from gunshot wounds to the head and upper torso, per the Oregonian.

Michael Reinoehl self-identified as “100% ANTIFA”

Police protect the body of victim Aaron “Jay” Danielson

The family’s lawsuit contended that the task force failed to establish an effective command system for the officers to follow at the scene and failed to devise a plan to safely arrest Reinoehl. Several officers testified in their depositions that there were communication difficulties during the operation due to radio issues. Additionally, the family alleged that the officers retaliated against Reinoehl for his far-left political views and participation in anti-police riots. But Judge Estudillo found no wrongdoing in the officers’ actions that day. He said that based on circumstantial evidence, it was “likely that Reinoehl was reaching for his gun,” which was found in his possession at the time of his death.

“The Court finds that the USMS Special Deputies here were acting under color of federal law. The record shows that this operation was federal throughout,” Judge Estudillo wrote in his decision. “It is clear that there was some plan to arrest Reinoehl and some command structure. Whether those plans were sufficiently thorough or properly accounted for the risks of the arrest is the kind of policy judgement that the discretionary function exception denies this Court jurisdiction to consider.”

“This Court’s role is not to decide if (USMS’ Violent Offender Task Force’s) plan was a good plan, or a complete or thorough one that adequately accounted for all risks and contingencies – that is the kind of second guessing that the (Federal Tort Claims Act) does not permit the Court to engage in,” said Estudillo.

Judge Estudillo dismissed the case and ordered Van Loo Fudiciary Services, the attorneys representing Reinoehl’s estate, to pay the Department of Justice $25,321 to cover legal fees.

The killing garnered national attention and a strong condemnation from President Trump, who lauded the manhunt for Reinoehl on X, formerly Twitter, and called on police to “Do your job, and do it fast.” Reinoehl was killed shortly after.

Prior to his death, Reinoehl described himself as an “antifascist” and declared in a post on Instagram that he was “100% ANTIFA.” While on the run as a fugitive murder suspect, Reinoehl gave an interview to Vice News, where he was portrayed as a victim by the leftwing publication. Vice News published the interview while authorities were on the hunt for the cold-blooded killer, which resulted in immense backlash.

Before murdering Danielson, Reinoehl was a frequent participant in Antifa’s far-left anti-police riots. He was arrested and charged for unlawful possession of a firearm during one of the protests, but all of the charges were immediately dropped by Mike Schmidt, the former progressive Multnomah County District Attorney who refused to prosecute Antifa-BLM rioters. Reinoehl had also referred to counter-protest measures as “warfare” before shooting and killing Danielson.

As Danielson lay dead on the ground, Antifa and leftist protesters formed a rally to celebrate the killing. The group falsely accused Danielson of being a “Nazi” because he was a Trump supporter.