Seven protesters arrested during Portland riots over Fourth of July week hit with federal charges for vandalizing courthouse and assaulting cops with high intensity lasers

Seven people who were arrested during riots in Portland made their first court appearance on Monday on a slew of charges.

Police arrested the seven for events that took place between July 2 and the early hours of July 6 for trapping officers inside a courthouse, destroying surveillance cameras, and using a high intensity laser to assault cops.

Four of the arrested - Rowan Olsen, 19; Andrew Steven Faulkner, 24; Christopher Fellini, 31; and Cody Porter, 28  - were all from the Portland.

The others were Shant Singh Ahuja, 28, from Oceanside, California; Gretchen Margaret Blank, 29, from Seattle; and Taimaine Jame Teo, 24, from Eugene, Oregon.

All seven defendants made their first appearances in federal court on Monday and were released pending trial. 

Seven people who were arrested during riots in Portland made their first court appearance and were hit with federal charges. Three of them above (left to right): Rowan Olsen, 19; Gretchen Margaret Blank, 29; and Andrew Steven Faulkner, 24

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From top left to bottom right: Cody Porter, 28; Taimaine Jame Teo, 24; Christopher Fellini, 31, and Shant Singh Ahuja, 28

Over Fourth of July weekend cops declared that protests in downtown Portland escalated into riots two times as people smashed business windows and started a bonfire in the middle of the street. Cops made more than 12 arrests in the chaos. 

Olsen gave cops a false name under Kiefer Alan Moore and a false date of birthday claiming he was 24 when he was arrested. He’s been charged with disorderly conduct, creating a hazard on federal property, and failing to obey a lawful order.

A sworn affidavit included in court filings says that during an interview after his arrest, Olsen said he was not near the courthouse door and said a Federal Protective Service officer smashed the glass with a fist. 

On July 2 to 3 Olsen allegedly used his body to push and hold a glass door at the Hatfield Courthouse closed, blocking officers from exiting the building and causing the door to shatter.

When the door was broken a mortar firework entered the courthouse and explanation near the officers.

Ahuja is accused of destroying a closed-circuit video camera mounted on the exterior of the Hatfield Courthouse on July 4.

Blank alleged assaulted a federal officer with a shield while the officer was trying to arrest another protester on July 5.

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The court released this photo showing how the glass door to the Hatfield Federal Courthouse was shattered because Rowan Olsen was blocking the door 

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This is the moment a pyrotechnic mortar exploded in courthouse lobby after  itsglass door was broken by Olsen late July 2 into early July 3

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Pepper spray, a light, knife, and laser were found in Fellini's possession. From July 5 to 6 Faulkner, Fellini, Porter and Teo allegedly assaulted federal officers with high intensity lasers

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The back of a shield used by Blank to assault a federal officer as they were trying to arrest another protester on July 5 pictured above

From July 5 to 6 Faulkner, Fellini, Porter and Teo allegedly assaulted federal officers with high intensity lasers. When he was arrested Faulker had a sheathed machete.

These cases are being investigated jointly by the US Marshals Service, FBI, US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Federal Protective Service, US Customs and Border Protection, and Homeland Security Investigations. 

Protests have unfolded across the country denouncing police brutality and systemic racism in the US following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25. 

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A riot was declared twice in less than 24 hours in Portland, Oregon amid escalating Fourth of July protests near the Justice Center and federal court house. A protester wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt above raising her hands as fireworks go off in the background

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Portland's police department declared a state of emergency in the early hours of Saturday morning and again later Saturday into early Sunday after protesters threw fireworks and projectiles in the federal court house and threw mortars and M80 fireworks at police officers 

Protesters in Portland have demonstrated for 40 consecutive nights following Floyd's death and some of those protests escalated into riots and the destruction of federal buildings.   

Over the Fourth of July weekend U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers protecting the courthouse were hit with aerial fireworks including mortars, thrown rocks, bottles, and balloons filled with paint from demonstrators.

'This is the second time in a day a riot was declared in downtown Portland due to the activities of many that put others' lives at risk; this is unacceptable,' Portland police Chief Chuck Lovell said on the July Fourth chaos. 

'Our officers are tired, but they are resilient. They will continue to be available every night to protect our community members as they swore an oath to do.'