Mayor pepper-sprays man who confronts him over face mask rules, Oregon video shows

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler was on his way out of a pub Sunday night when he says a man confronted him and accused him of flouting face mask rules.

In the confrontation, caught on video by Wheeler’s companion, the mayor explains that masks are not required while eating or drinking and asks the man to back away, Willamette Week reported. The video captures only the audio.

“Thanks for ruining our city,” the man says in the audio, although the last word is garbled.

That’s when Wheeler, who has served as mayor since 2017, apparently used pepper spray.

“You just pepper-sprayed me!” the man said.

A moment later, he repeated, “You just pepper-sprayed me, for no reason at all.”

Sam Adams, a former mayor who was with Wheeler and captured the audio, defended Wheeler’s actions.

“Actually, I was here and you were like a foot from him. He asked you to back away and you didn’t,” Adams said in the audio.

Wheeler later told police he had repeatedly warned the man, who also was taking video of the confrontation, to back away, The Oregonian reported.

“He had no face mask on and got within a foot or two of my face while he was videoing me,” Wheeler told police, according to the publication. “I became imminently concerned for my personal safety.”

Wheeler said he threw the man a bottle of water to wash out his eyes before leaving, The Washington Post reported. He notified city officials and police about the confrontation.

Police are investigating the incident, KGW reported. The man who confronted Wheeler has not been identified.

Protesters also confronted Wheeler while he was dining earlier in January, according to the station. He told police one person began “swatting” at him during the incident.

This story was originally published January 26, 2021 at 11:44 AM with the headline "Mayor pepper-sprays man who confronts him over face mask rules, Oregon video shows."