Cumberland County District Attorney Jackie Sartoris says after reviewing social media posts, charges could have been filed against Nationalist Social Club members after their rally April 1 led to a fight in front of City Hall. Sartoris says Portland police failed to fully investigate the disturbance.
"I think in the moment they protected the public by rushing in and making sure the aggression stopped," Sartoris said. "I think they had some misunderstandings about what my office would consider charging, and I think in that scenario I see some things that could have been charged."
In a press release police had said that “some minor skirmishes broke out” during the rally, but that no official complaints were filed and no reports of serious injuries or arrests were made.
Sartoris says she met with Interim Portland Police Chief Heath Gorham on Thursday about what conduct her office can prosecute, and said she feels confident that police and her office are now on the same page should a similar incident ever occur again.
The City Council on Monday will review the police response to the rally.
