Six masked vandals destroyed a Portland, Oregon, coffee shop the day of its “Coffee with a Cop” event, the shop owner said Friday.
Bison Coffeehouse owner Loretta Guzman, who was approached to hold the event by the Portland Police Bureau, said she had successfully held the event three other times but was met with backlash when posting about the event online this week.
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“I quit looking at it. People I know in the community were like, ‘Thank you,’ and [asking], ‘Will you please do this?’ And I was like, yes. And then I woke up to my neighbor calling me and letting me know, ‘Hey, all your windows are busted out,'” Guzman told Fox News host Carley Shimkus.
Security footage of the incident showed the criminals smashing the windows with crowbars and hammers at approximately 3 a.m. on Wednesday, according to police. The vandals also sprayed a fire extinguisher on the shop’s walls and artwork, leaving a residue.
Guzman, who decided to host the event anyway after community members helped clean up, added that paint had been sprayed throughout the building earlier this week.
An investigation is underway but no arrests were made Wednesday. The vandals had already fled the scene by the time police arrived. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler (D) said that when arrests are made, he will push to punish those responsible to the “full extent of the law,” including charging them with federal hate crimes because Guzman is Native American and features tribal artwork in her shop.
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This destruction happened on the eve of Bison Coffeehouse hosting an event to bring the community and police together. @PortlandPolice was able to immediately respond, begin investigating, and assist the owner with cleaning up her shop in the aftermath of these hate-filled acts.
— Mayor Ted Wheeler (@tedwheeler) October 5, 2022
“This destruction happened on the eve of Bison Coffeehouse hosting an event to bring the community and police together,” Wheeler tweeted. “Portland Police was able to immediately respond, begin investigating, and assist the owner with cleaning up her shop in the aftermath of these hate-filled acts. Upon arrest, I will advocate for the prosecution to the fullest extent of the law — including potential federal hate crimes.”
