Man who hit federal officer with rock during Portland ICE protest gets hefty prison time

A man who threw a rock that struck a federal officer during protests outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland has been sentenced to 30 months in prison, federal officials said Thursday.

Robert Jacob Hoopes pleaded guilty under a plea deal to aggravated assault of a federal employee with a dangerous weapon.

Prosecutors said Hoopes hurled a rock during a protest last June, hitting an officer in the head and causing a gash above the eye.

U.S. District Judge Adrienne Nelson also sentenced Hoopes to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay more than $8,000 in restitution.

“Today’s message is clear — violence is not protest,” said Scott Bradford, U.S. attorney for the District of Oregon. “When you cross the line and assault a federal officer, you will be prosecuted.”

Hoopes’ attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The case is one of several arising from protests at the Portland ICE facility, which has been a frequent flashpoint over federal immigration enforcement.

Demonstrations there have continued for months, at times escalating into clashes with law enforcement, according to court records and officials.

Federal prosecutors have pursued a range of charges nationwide in cases involving assaults on officers during immigration-related protests, including in cities such as Chicago and Los Angeles.

In Portland, other defendants have also faced prison sentences for protest-related activity.

One man was previously sentenced to 18 months for arson after prosecutors said he threw a lit flare that caused damage at the ICE facility.

Some related cases have been dismissed, while others have gone to trial or ended in mistrials or probation sentences, according to court records.

Hoopes is one of the few defendants in the Portland cases to plead guilty to assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon.