Paralyzed woman shot by gunman at protest dies after opting to be removed from ventilator

A woman who became paralyzed while peacefully protesting the deaths of two Black men shot by police has died after deciding to be removed from life support.

Identified only as ‘Deg’, she chose to be taken off her ventilator after being shot in the neck during a demonstration at Normandale Park in Portland, Oregon, on February 19, 2022.

The injury left the 32-year-old paralyzed from the neck down, and she subsequently depended on caregivers for her daily survival. Once an enthusiastic hiker, Deg faced a dramatically altered life.

Deg passed away on July 1 after requesting that doctors and her close ones disconnect the ventilator.

Her mother, speaking to The Oregonian about her daughter’s decision, said: “She had lost so much control.”

“This was something that was her decision. I couldn’t argue with her. But we miss her desperately.”

Deg attended the protest, which was organized in response to the fatal shooting of 22-year-old Amir Locke by SWAT officers in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on February 2, 2022.

Following Locke’s death, it was revealed that the police had executed a ‘no-knock warrant’, entering the home without prior notice.

The demonstration also sought justice for 27-year-old Patrick Kimmons, another Black man who was killed by Portland police during a 2018 altercation.

The protest was violently disrupted by Benjamin Smith, who opened fire on the demonstrators. Smith killed 60-year-old June Knightly with a shot to the head and injured four others, including Deg.

One of the protesters, who was armed, shot Smith near his hip.

During court proceedings, it was revealed that Smith had expressed hostility towards Antifa, a left-wing anti-fascist and anti-racist political movement, and Black Lives Matter. He was also identified as a Nazi sympathizer and supporter of Kyle Rittenhouse.

On August 25, 2020, Rittenhouse traveled 20 miles from his home to attend a protest that erupted following the shooting of Jacob Blake.

Armed with an AR-15 style rifle, the then 17-year-old fatally shot Joseph Rosenbaum and Anthony Huber and injured Gaige Grosskreutz.

Rittenhouse was charged with five felony counts, including first-degree reckless homicide and first-degree intentional homicide. He was acquitted of all charges on November 19, 2021.

Smith pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and several other charges, including multiple counts of attempted murder, in March 2023. He was sentenced to life in prison and will be eligible for parole after 55 years.

In a victim impact statement given in April last year, Deg reflected on how her life had changed: “I really miss the sound of my laugh.”

“My days are entirely driven by my immediate medical needs.”