Proud Boy Tusitala “Tiny” Toese (KOIN-TV screenshot)
A 26-year-old member of the far-right Proud Boys organization in Oregon was convicted this week of multiple felonies for his role in inciting and participating in a brawl during a “Patriot Rally” he helped organize in the summer of 2021.
Following a three-day trial, Multnomah County Circuit Court Judge Amy Baggio on Thursday found Tusitala “Tiny” Toese guilty of 10 of 11 felony charges.
Those charges included two counts of second-degree assault, two counts of third-degree assault, two counts of unlawful use of a weapon, two counts of rioting, and two counts of first-degree criminal mischief, court records reviewed by Law&Crime show. Toese was acquitted on one additional count of second-degree assault.
According to a press release from the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, Toese, on Aug. 21, 2021, organized and hosted “a rally for patriots” in the vacant parking lot of an abandoned Kmart in Portland.
The rally was initially planned at Portland’s waterfront but had to be moved when it became clear that an Antifa counter-protest would respond to the event in real-time, court filings state.
During the gathering, prosecutors say Toese gave several speeches to incite the crowd to violence toward perceived members of Antifa, a loose affiliate left-wing group opposed to fascism and racism. Such statements included Toese saying, “When Antifa shows up, show them no mercy,” the release states.
“When Antifa members showed up at the rally, members of the Proud Boys immediately attacked them,” according to prosecutors. “Toese and his group then engaged in an extended street brawl that included explosive devices, paintball guns, bats, and clubs.”
The brawl eventually spilled into a high school parking lot, where Toese found a man he recognized sitting inside a parked car. He shouted, “He is Antifa,” before smashing out the car’s driver-side window with a baseball bat.
“This action, along with Toese’s other statements, encouraged multiple Proud Boys to destroy the car and attack the victim for a prolonged period with multiple weapons,” prosecutors wrote. “Toese and his group also flipped over an Antifa support van.”
The incident was caught on tape, and prosecutors say it showed Toese directing rallygoers to break the windows, slash the tires on the van, and attack the driver. After the occupants escaped the van and a brief assault, prosecutors say Toese then instructed rallygoers to return to the vehicle and said, “Boys, flip this (expletive) over so they don’t get to drive this (expletive) home.”
Toese was extradited from Washington last year — where he was being held on unrelated charges — to stand trial on the 11 felony charges.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Nathan Vasquez, the lead prosecutor in the case, argued that Toese was “filled with hatred toward Antifa,” saying that he “preyed upon the passions of the Proud Boys” to incite them to violence.
“Due to Mr. Toese’s long-term involvement in violent activity, the state is seeking enhancements to increase Mr. Toese’s sentence above the mandatory minimum sentence of 70 months in prison,” Vasquez said following the verdict.
Toese has a history of inciting violence at political rallies, prosecutors say. In December 2017, he was charged with assault, harassment, and disorderly conduct for allegedly “punching a counter-protester in the face, unprovoked,” and was placed on probation and served 10 days in jail.
He pleaded guilty to another count of fourth-degree assault in 2019 and was placed on probation that was later revoked for failing to adhere to the terms of his release. He was then sentenced to six months in jail.
Also in 2019, Toese was convicted in Washington on two counts of jumping bond and one count of obstructing law enforcement.
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