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Ryan Bruce Gaither Jr., 37, of Eugene, has been charged with assault on a federal employee involving physical contact and aggravated assault on a federal employee causing bodily injury.
An Oregon man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for an alleged physical attack against federal officers during an anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) demonstration in January. The incident occurred outside the Eugene federal building.
Ryan Bruce Gaither Jr., 37, of Eugene, has been charged with assault on a federal employee involving physical contact and aggravated assault on a federal employee causing bodily injury. The defendant was arraigned in federal court on Tuesday and pleaded not guilty, the Oregon US Attorney’s Office said in a press release.
On January 27, 2026, Gaither allegedly spat on a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer on the Special Response Team (SRT) and bit a second officer, according to court documents.
Video footage of his arrest shows Gaither struggling with two CBP SRT officers while he lies on the ground, handcuffs tied behind his back. He can be observed shouting with an angry facial expression before being taken into custody. As he gets whisked away, an aggressive mob of protesters surrounds federal officers, screaming and hurling projectiles, video shows. A sign stating “ICE kills” was seen being waved in the air.