It’s unclear who fired the shots that struck Toese, though the right-wing Proud Boys had been squaring off with black-clad figures called antifa, a left-wing movement, in the minutes before the shooting.
Toese, who stands 6-foot-3 and weighs more than 300 pounds, has been a regular organizer of Proud Boys events in the Portland area and is known to open participate in street brawls, including the rally the turned into a violent clash near a shuttered Kmart in east Portland on Aug. 22.
Toese was formerly known to be a top lieutenant of Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson, but that group has been less active as Gibson faces a potential felony riot conviction.
Toese was recently let off probation after serving time in jail for a 2018 assault.