Police identified a man who had been sprayed with pepper spray by Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler as a lawyer named Cary Cadonau
PORTLAND, Oregon. Police on Tuesday identified a man who had been sprayed by Portland mayor Ted Wheeler as a partner at a law firm, who also attempted to obtain surveillance footage of the mayor at a restaurant and a copy of his meal receipt.
An additional police report identified Cary Cadonau as the man who was sprayed with pepper spray by Wheeler after confronting the mayor who left a restaurant on Sunday night and accused him of not wearing a mask. No charges have been filed for the incident. Cadonau did not immediately send an email requesting comment.
Wheeler and Sam Adams, who served a term as mayor of Portland from 2009 to 2013, had been dining in a tent area and were walking to their car as Cadonau approached, unmasked, and got close to the mayor’s face while filming with his phone, according to police reports.
According to a statement the mayor gave to police, Wheeler told the man about the current COVID-19 regulations, which allow people to take off their masks to eat or drink.
“He then accused me of other things that I said he didn’t understand and would probably understand better if he confronted people about it,” Wheeler said in his statement.
Wheeler said the man was one or two feet from him and Wheeler was concerned about his safety and was given COVID-19. Wheeler told the man to “back off” and that he had pepper spray with him, which he would use if necessary. When the man didn’t listen, the mayor said he sprayed him in the eye.
“He seemed surprised and withdrew,” Wheeler told police. ‘He made a comment like,’ I can’t believe you just sprayed me with pepper. “
Adams, whose statement to police was in line with the mayor’s, suggested to Wheeler that he should leave for his safety. Before doing so, Wheeler said he threw a bottle of water at the man so he could wash his eyes, he told police.
Cadonau told police when he reached out on Monday that he did not want to discuss the matter because he was a lawyer. He said the mayor should be held “accountable,” but declined to elaborate, the police report said.
Cadonau was asked why he tried to get surveillance footage of the restaurant in the Hillsdale neighborhood of Portland, as well as his food and drink receipt from the pub, the report said.
Mr. Cadonau said he wanted the receipt because it would show how much alcohol the mayor had been drinking that night. but he respectfully refused to say anything more, ”Officer Matt Miller wrote.
Stories from 2019 in The Oregonian / OregonLive identify a lawyer named Cary Cadonau arguing in court over the sale of his family business, Alpenrose Dairy, to a Seattle-based company.
Wheeler, who was reelected in November, has been targeted by left-wing protesters, including some who smashed windows and set a small fire in his apartment building.