A rise in far-left and far-right extremist groups has created a sharp political divide across the country.
Extremist groups like Antifa and Proud Boys have been clashing in urban centers like Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon.
In August, police in Oregon arrested a man who fired a gun into a crowd of demonstrators, but no one was reported injured.
In a news conference, Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell acknowledged the violence between these groups has become so dangerous officers don’t intervene to break up brawls.
“Just because arrests are not made at the scene when tensions are high, does not mean that people won’t be charged with crimes,” Lovell said.
Cities have become the hotbed for these types of events since the murder of George Floyd by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.
