Background
Before I begin detailing my experience of being detained by ICE in what I believe was an excessive use of force, I want to first start by giving a little context on who I am, how I feel about current events, and why I was there.
To start I am a 26 year old, who was born and raised in the Portland metro. I am a father to a wonderful (almost) two year old daughter and in my free time love photography and cycling. I have LOTS of family members (like my Mom) who are career military so I understand personally the idea that you can’t “paint everyone with the same brush”.
I believe that was our current administration has been doing across the board in terms of tariffs, laws, public speaking, etc. is destroying our country (not being hyperbolic).
Since I was around 11 or 12 I have had a camera in my hand and have loved capturing what’s going on around me and sharing it with others (check out the post and photos in my About section). Recently the rhetoric around Portland that it is “burning” or “a warzone” has REALLY rubbed me the wrong way and I am unable to sit back as the city I love is slandered. The ICE facility and protests related to it are all only within a 1×2 block area!
Last thing I want to say before detailing my experience is – In my honest opinion this is no longer “Left vs Right” it is “the people vs the government”, “the poor vs the rich”, “the small and many vs the few and mighty” however you want to spin it. Please, if you are reading this with the intent to disagree, stop. For a moment consider if this was your “group”, or child, or friend and imagine if whoever you view as your political opposite held and exercised this power with such reckless abandon.
First time feeling handcuffs
On October 16th, 2025 I ventured out to the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Facility off Macadam Avenue to document a great form of peaceful protest hosted by an acquaintance I met recently, Vincent (or known online as Knot.Bad or Yarn Punk). Across the street from the ICE facility people were welcome to free crotchet lessons or if you already skilled there were ample supplies for anyone interested.
Leading up to my detainment ICE and Department of Homeland (DHS) agents came out in their usual intervals to clear the street to make room for cars to enter the property. What I noticed that was unique this time was the presence of multiple agents whose sole function it seemed was to record or document the scene. To be frank as an aspiring professional journalist, photographer, videographer or however you want to define it, seeing this pissed me off for more reasons than I care to talk about.
Being a lifelong gamer I am very good at talking smack and finding the little thing that you react to and then honing in on it. I won’t write this and pretend I was silently standing there… but does that warrant the clip below? I am stuck feeling it was a show of force, retaliation and just a reason to make an example of a journalist loudly standing up for their fellow Americans, WHICH IS NOT ILLEGAL.
Not much as a word was mentioned to me about the light, the only “warning” I had is what you see in the video. It was very obvious right before I am charged and tackled that they are preparing for something and by the time I start backing up it is too late. After being tackled into the gravel two ICE/DHS agents failed to really say anything that they needed from me and just kind of wrestled my arms behind my back (as I ask continually for direction), one of the two agents put me in a rear naked choke while the other held my arms behind my back and I was dragged into the facility with yarn stuck to me leaving a trail in my wake.
While being dragged and progressively choked tighter and tighter I attempted to humanize myself to no avail by repeating “I can’t breath, please I have a daughter”. As I reached the point of blacking/passing out (legs started to get heavy, and vision was tunneling) the agent told me “shut the f*ck up” and another said “not so tough now huh?” referencing my smack talk from earlier (told you it got under their skin).
Once brought to the vehicle bay I was slammed against the wall and then hand cuffed while the agents continued to talk similar to the way I described above. Both of my shoulder sockets almost a week later are still very tender when I place my hands behind my back or carry anything (like my daughter).
From here the good guy routine starts. Again like I mentioned in the beginning I understand all individuals cannot be thrown into the same pot as the “bad guys” because then when the its time to fix the systemic issues there is no one left. The uniformed agent that performed the body search was cordial and vocal on the steps he was taking. The same “photographer” then and took my photo which in hindsight is nasty because they could use that photo however they want when in reality there was no crime EVER articulated (even suspicion of committing).
From there things calmed down dramatically. The officer that performed the search moved me to a room adjacent to the parking bay and handcuffed me to a bench to await next steps. Soon after five or six individuals (DHS and FBI) came into the room and asked for some basic personal info before explaining they would be moving to a questioning room to learn more about what happened. I asked if they were able to articulate a crime and they said (paraphrasing) “they would need to learn more to figure that out.”
Going into the room with such little information and outside experiencing such an intense escalation with little warning honestly left me pretty shook up. The adrenaline by now has worn off and all the areas that were a dull throb are now a sharp stabbing pain. Reading between the lines it felt like the most sure bet of leaving as soon as possible was cooperating.
It was a small 8′ x 8′ room with a simple metal desk perpendicular to the wall and two matching chairs. Everyone but the interviewer lined the walls to my left and I was read my rights. Finally, it was explained that the reason for my detainment was to “discern whether my intent with the light was to cause an epileptic seizure”…
I was very lucky to think to attach my GoPro to my Sony a6100 to document everything as I took photos. Because of that I had no issue letting them watch and even giving a copy. One of the few good habits I have is always clearing my SD after previous shoots/outings so the only footage I had was of Vincent and his group crocheting. Once it was plainly obvious to them my intent was to take photos and illuminate the scene they wrapped up very quickly. It was not said explicitly but heavily implied that nothing would come of this since what the agent watched on my GoPro did not look like anything nefarious (knock on wood for me).
As I gathered my things to leave two agents (in uniform and one plain clothes from the interview) mentioned I would need to wait because another person was being brought in (this one a little more fair – peed on the building). While I waited in the same vehicle bay I got searched in less than an hour prior they warned me to be careful about what I would say to fellow protesters once I leave because they’re going to bombard me and one wrong sentence would cause them to turn on me. A man was carried in (agent per appendage) with his pants around his thighs and his privates fully exposed. I then heard roar of laughter and hollering behind me, I turned to see in the car park section behind me on the second story concealed behind a perforated metal wall stood 10 or so agents “enjoying the show”.
I asked again the plain clothes agent if I should expect any sort of charge to be created from this and he assured me nothing would come of this. I was then walked to an external gate door.
Once I left the facility I was met only by a handful of worried protesters I had talked to previously and two medics who made me sit down and let them check me over (which I really appreciate). I was approached by a couple other concerned protesters while I hung around collecting myself which is where I got the other POVs. After 30 minutes or so I decided I felt solid enough to ride my bike back to my car.
Hypocrisy at No Kings Protest
Two days later marked the day for the second No Kings Protest. I was unable to make it for the actual march since I was celebrating my Grandma’s 85th birthday! I arrived a few hours after the march had ended and it felt most protesters had migrated to being outside the ICE facility.
In roughly the 10-20 times I have gone to the ICE facility since the first No Kings Protest (06/14) I have NEVER seen them so liberally deploy tear gas and pepper balls. In my Instagram post linked in this article you can see them indiscriminately shoot into a peaceful crowd and when the tear gas was deployed it engulfed an entire block. Then the real kicker is that they also in that same video use a REAL STROBE LIGHT ON A CROWD OF PEOPLE… So either I was wrongfully detained since it is ok to use those lights, or they’re knowingly using extremely powerful lights (10x stronger than mine) to harm people exercising their first amendment right.
What stuck with me?
Fundamentally this experience has completely shifted my perspective on everything. When I was first venting about what had happened my Fiancée mentioned how my perspective now sounds similar to when women explain their lack of trust in men after SA. In that example it is not that ALL men are bad (obviously) but that the fear has now shifted from a potential thing to worry about to a real thing you watch out for so it doesn’t happen again.
My dream and goal is to make journalism, photography, and videography my full time career. I am sick and tired of “main stream” media channels and social media grifters presenting false narratives and I want to be their kryptonite proving them wrong.
Given all of that I REALLY need your support! Whether sharing my article’s, following on social media and engaging there, or my newest option Ko-Fi (donation site) any little bit helps. Lastly I will have my print shop up and running soon, so stay tuned!!!
I did not anticipate recounting my experience would cause such intense feelings to resurface. My hands and feet are clammy, my stomach is in knots and my breathing sounds like I just exercised. If you have made to the end of this, THANK YOU! ❤
Cheese Slice 
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