The Oregonian | By Maxine Bernstein | December 07, 2021
Self-proclaimed Proud Boy Alan J. Swinney on Tuesday admitted to assaulting a woman during an August 2020 protest in downtown Portland as part of a civil settlement but won’t have to pay the agreed-upon $250,000 in damages.
Swinney accepted the settlement as the second day of jury selection was about to proceed for his civil trial in Multnomah County Circuit Court.
The case stemmed from Megan McLain’s allegations that Swinney fired a paintball gun at her during clashing demonstrations near Chapman Square on Aug. 22, 2020 and later doused her with bear Mace.
McLain’s lawyer Michael Fuller said he offered Swinney the settlement Tuesday morning before jury selection continued.
While the settlement sets a damage amount, Fuller said his client agreed not to collect the money.
“We weren’t going to collect a dime from him anyway,” he said.
Swinney, 51, remains in custody, awaiting sentencing on separate criminal convictions. His sentencing in the criminal case is set for Friday before Multnomah County Circuit Judge Heidi H. Moawad.
During his criminal trial earlier this year, Swinney was acquitted of second-degree assault in connection with the same allegations involving McLain. McLain, who went by the name Megan Steward during the criminal trial this fall, testified in that case.
Swinney, though, was convicted of assault, menacing and unlawful use of a weapon for pulling out a loaded revolver, and firing paintballs and spraying bear Mace at others who came downtown as counterprotesters last year.
