Portland Police: Dozens of 'Wilding' Teens Found Brawling in Southeast Portland Over Two Days

PORTLAND, OR – Two large fights involving dozens of teenagers got the Portland Police Bureau’s attention over the past couple days.

In what is described as a "wilding" event, a large group of teens randomly attacked people and property without any real apparent rhyme or reason, Portland police spokesman Sgt. Pete Simpson told Patch via email Friday.

It's happened before at Lloyd Center and on Transit, Simpson said, but nothing like this has occurred recently.

"I don’t know that there is any social structure to it but certainly with the growth and use of social media, the word can spread rapidly," he said.

The first incident occurred at Mall 205 in Southeast Portland around 5:45 p.m. Wednesday, April 6, when roughly 20 youths allegedly began fighting with mall employees and security, and damaging mall property, police said.

East Precinct officers apprehended two 14-year-old girls and one 14-year-old boy who were reportedly involved.

According to a source at Mall 205 who asked not to be named, large groups of teens –– between 15 and 20 at a time –– have been trashing stores, stealing items, and harassing mall security for the past three weeks. The source also indicated the teens have attempted to break into Mall 205 stores after hours.

The second incident involving 20 to 40 fighting teens occurred at the East Portland Community Center on Southeast 106th Avenue and moved to the Big Lots parking lot on Southeast Washington Street, police said.

One 14-year-old boy was taken into custody, police said, while the others were dispersed by officers and Floyd Light Middle School employees.

Multiple community partners have volunteered to assist police in addressing the two incidents, police said.

Tom Peavey, policy manager for the Portland Office of Youth Violence Prevention (one of the primary agencies assisting with youth-related gang-type issues), said that in a region as large and with as many people as Portland's, "The problem we have is providing youth opportunities to recreate but stay out of trouble."

The city's Street Level Gang Outreach program, for example, provides safety for youth as well as the community by offering mentoring programs, among others, which serve to provide pro-social activities, Peavey said.

Without effective guidance, he said, "Youth looking for opportunities to recreate … don't always do the right thing."

This post has been updated with comments from the Portland Police Bureau, the Office of Youth Violence Prevention, and a Mall 205 employee who requested anonymity.

Image via Shutterstock