Woman paralyzed by gunman while protesting a police shooting dies after choosing to be pulled off ventilator

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Andrew Feinberg

White House Correspondent

An Oregon woman who was paralyzed while protesting a police-involved shooting at a park in Portland in 2022 has died after she chose to be pulled off a ventilator.

The 32-year-old, who was identified only as “Deg,” made the request on July 1 and died the following day at her childhood home, The Oregonian reported. Her mother asked that her daughter’s full name not be used to preserve their privacy.

“She had lost so much control,” her mother told the outlet. “This was something that was her decision. I couldn’t argue with her. But we miss her desperately.”

Deg is the second person to die from the February 2022 shooting at Normandale Park where gunman Benjamin Smith opened fire at a planned protest over the police-involved shooting death of Amir Lock.

An armed protester shot back, incapacitating Smith. But Smith had already shot five people, including Deg, as well as 60-year-old June Knightly, who was there to help with traffic control for the march. She died at the scene after being shot in the head.

Deg was shot through the neck, which left her paralyzed from the shoulders down. It was ruled that she died of complications from a gunshot wound to the neck and her death has been listed as a homicide, according to The Oregonian.

Once an avid hiker and traveler, the independent young woman was forced to rely on her caregivers. She gave a victim impact statement at Smith’s sentencing hearing in April 2023.

“I really miss the sound of my laugh,” she said, telling the court at the time how she was being taken care of by her retired parents. “My days are entirely driven by my immediate medical needs.”

Over two and a half years, Deg had limited social interaction due to the risk of contracting a fatal respiratory infection and battled three bouts of pneumonia before she made the difficult decision to be pulled off the ventilator.

Smith, who lived across the street from Normandale Park, had apparently become increasingly “radicalized” against liberal policies. Smith’s roommate and neighbors told local outlets that he had grown increasingly angry with the Black Lives Matter marches and protests across the city.

Portland saw months of nightly protests in 2020, which often spiraled into violence, following the murder by police of Floyd in Minneapolis. Portland became the center of the movement to defund the police, but the sustained protests in the city have since largely faded away.

Smith, 44, pleaded guilty in March 2023 to nine counts, including second-degree murder and multiple counts of attempted murder. He was sentenced to life in prison with eligibility for parole after 55 years. It’s unclear if Smith will face any new charges in the wake of Deg’s death.