Band member accused of interfering with federal arrest of another, feds allege

A 38-year-old marching band member who performed Sunday outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland tried to interfere with the arrest of a man fleeing from federal officers, prosecutors allege in court records.

Oriana Korol, a clarinetist with the Unpresidented Brass Band, was in turn arrested after the man and federal agents barreled into band members who were standing across the street from the ICE office, playing the “Ghostbusters” theme.

Korol appeared in federal court Wednesday in Portland after spending three nights in the Clark County Jail. The courtroom was filled with her supporters.

Federal prosecutor Katherine Ryyken called Korol’s alleged actions “violent.”

“There was a kick and a bite of an officer,” she said.

Kara Sagi, Korol’s assistant federal public defender, disputed Ryyken’s account of Korol’s actions.

“I disagree with the government’s characterization of her arrest in this case,” Sagi said, but provided no further details.

Sagi also said she was disturbed by the three-day delay in Korol’s initial appearance in federal court. Another person arrested outside the Portland ICE building Sunday night who was also held in Clark County was in federal court on Tuesday and released.

“For whatever reason, she was not. That was a devastating blow both to her and her family,” and unnecessary, Sagi said.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Youlee Yim You granted Korol’s release pending trial, ordering her to remain away from a designated geographical area around the ICE building and to seek permission from a pretrial officer before any international travel.

Korol, holding her clarinet, was standing with band members on a gravel patch of land beside a fence when witnesses said federal officers chased another person through the band and took that person to the ground.

One video posted on social media showed Korol wedged between several officers, tripping over them and the detained suspect before she fell into the mud. An officer then pinned her as well. Another video shows a trombone player trying to pull the suspect on the ground away from officers as Korol is in the midst of the officers.

According to a federal affidavit unsealed Wednesday, “Korol attempted to interfere with the arrest by physically trying to pull the male away from officers” and a Federal Protective Service officer “pushed Korol away” and she fell to the ground.

The affidavit, written by a Federal Protective Service special agent, said Korol “locked her hands underneath her,” kicked the officer in his leg with her right foot while she was on the ground and then bit an officer’s left hand as he tried to grab her left hand to arrest her.

Federal officers had been attempting to clear the vehicle entrance to the ICE building when officers trying to arrest one man rushed across the street into the band.

Once in custody, Korol declined to waive her Miranda rights and speak with any federal officers before she had a lawyer.

Korol, a child and family therapist, was detained at the ICE building in South Portland and then held at the Clark County Jail.

Band founder and trumpet player Miles Thompson, who attended the hearing, said afterwards, “I didn’t see anything like that,” in response to the federal allegations against Korol.

He told the Oregonian/OregonLive that it is the first time a band member has been arrested since it was formed in 2017 during a large demonstration demanding that President Donald Trump release his tax returns.

Thompson, 43, said federal agents had just exited the ICE building and appeared to be chasing a protester when the protester and officer collided with band members, most of whom were wearing banana costumes.

“Ori, our clarinet player, was pinned against this fence, with whoever they’re trying to detain at her feet, and she’s just kind of stuck,” Thompson also said in an interview Tuesday.

“Then suddenly one of the other officers just tackled her. I didn’t see anything that warranted any kind of arrest.”

Thompson said one officer did “like a crazy, horizontal diving tackle of this guy straight into our band,” which knocked over a drummer who had to go to the hospital and get stitches.

Korol’s parents also attended the brief hearing. They moved to Oregon from Vermont four months ago to be closer to their daughter and granddaughter.

Korol’s father, Omar Johnson, said they were able to talk by phone and video chat with his daughter while she was detained in jail.

Her glasses and her plastic clarinet were broken when the federal officers rushed into the banana-clad band and she was knocked to the ground. She left her partner’s wooden clarinet home because it was raining.

“We’re all just kind of in shock,” Johnson said.

He said he believes his daughter will prevail in challenging her arrest, calling the allegation an “extremely Trump-ed up assault charge.”

“Who’s assaulting who is the real question?” he added. “She was on the sidewalk playing music when the federal officers just bumrushed the band.”

Johnson said he had done volunteer work with an asylum seekers support network in Vermont, and is “not that surprised by anything these days.”

“But you don’t really expect it to hit that close to home,” he said.

Korol has performed in about four performances with the band, her father said.

Korol’s partner, with whom she has a 3-year-old child, and members of the band performed outside the Clark County Jail and demanded her release on Monday night.

By 3 p.m. Wednesday, Korol was let out of custody and reunited with her partner and friends outside the federal courthouse.

“I’m super grateful to be out and back with my family, and so happy and excited to see my 3-year old,” she told the Oregonian, her voice quivering with emotion.

She said she’s still feeling ” some fear and sadness” stemming from her arrest and the federal charge she faces.

She did not comment on the specific allegations but said she plans to fight the charge in court, and that her experience has only strengthened her commitment to social justice.

“I feel even more committed to what people are protesting at the ICE building, and I hope that people continue to speak out against acts of violence towards minorities.”

Korol is the 33rd person to be arrested on a federal misdemeanor or felony charge stemming from protests against federal immigration enforcement or outside Portland’s immigration field office since early June.

The band intends to perform Wednesday at 5 p.m. outside Portland City Hall in support of both Korol and a pair of proposals before the city council that seek to oppose or limit federal actions stemming from President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and attempts to deploy National Guard troops outside the local immigration enforcement office.

The band also plans to march and perform in the “No Kings” protest on Saturday in Portland.