Filed Date: June 5, 2026
Case Ongoing
Clearinghouse coding in progress
(This summary is temporary while we research the case further).
The plaintiff, 19-year-old Oregon resident, filed suit against the United States of America in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, Portland Division on June 5, 2026, asserting claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). The complaint alleged that the plaintiff was peacefully protesting outside Portland's Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility on the evening of October 2, 2025. She alleged that she was standing still in the street, unarmed, and speaking with two Federal Protective Services (FPS) officers when a third FPS officer stepped between them and sprayed her directly in the face with a chemical irritant without warning, after which all three officers walked away into the facility. As a result, the plaintiff alleged she suffered extreme pain to her eyes, face, throat, and lungs, was unable to breathe, and experienced ongoing throat and stomach irritation for several days. She asserted FTCA claims for assault and battery and sought noneconomic damages of $350,000.
For PACER's information on parties and their attorneys, see: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73447943/parties/payne-v-united-states/
Long, Sara (Oregon)
Merrithew, Jesse A. (Oregon)
See docket on RECAP: https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/73447943/payne-v-united-states/
Last updated July 3, 2026, 3:07 a.m.
State / Territory:
Case Type(s):
Special Collection(s):
Trump Administration 2.0: Challenges to the Government
Key Dates
Filing Date: June 5, 2026
Case Ongoing: Yes
Case Details
Other Dockets:
District of Oregon 3:26-cv-01139
Case Summary of Payne v. United States, Civil Rights Litig. Clearinghouse, https://clearinghouse.net/case/48291/.