Assaulting Federal Officers with Vehicle, Sept. 3

PORTLAND, Ore.—Lonnie Vantewa Albert, 55, of Portland, has been charged by criminal complaint for allegedly assaulting two Federal Protective Service officers with a sport utility vehicle on August 30, 2020, announced Billy J. Williams, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. According to court documents, in the early morning hours of August 30, two Federal Protective Service officers deployed to Portland in support of ongoing federal law enforcement operations departed the Edith Green-Wendell Wyatt Federal Building in a rental vehicle en route to their hotel. Both officers were wearing their government-issued uniform with visible police patches and a badge.  While driving east on Interstate 84 approaching Interstate 205, one of the officers observed a gray sport utility vehicle passing on their left. The officer observed the other driver, later identified as Albert, glance toward him. Albert then turned sharply, nearly hitting the officers’ vehicle. The driving officer made several attempts to change lanes and pass Albert, but Albert swerved in either direction to block their vehicle. After positioning his vehicle to the officers’ left, Albert turned sharply to the right, striking the officers’ vehicle and causing his own vehicle to spin before coming to a stop. When one of the officers got out of the vehicle to see if Albert was injured, Albert drove toward the officer, veered left, and fled the scene. The officers briefly pursued Albert to collect his license plate number and other identifying information. Albert then exited the freeway and stopped his vehicle near Adventist Health Portland, a hospital on SE 100th Avenue. When the officers pulled into the hospital parking lot, Albert pursued at a high rate of speed and struck the officers’ vehicle a second time. Shortly thereafter, Portland Police Bureau officers placed Albert under arrest. The FPS officers’ vehicle sustained visible dents, scratches, and other damage. Albert made his first appearance in federal court on September 1, 2020 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was released on conditions pending further court proceedings. If convicted, Albert faces a maximum sentence of eight years in federal prison. This case was investigated by the FBI and Federal Protective Service. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.