A Portland anti-fascist activist killed after leaving a popular left-wing hangout was not the target of a political attack as some speculated on social media immediately after the hit-and-run, two lawyers told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Monday.

The deadly clash appears instead to have followed a verbal confrontation that broke out as Sean Kealiher, 23, and two friends were walking to their car to go home after meeting at the Cider Riot pub, said attorneys Paul Ferder and Zachary Stern.

They represent one of the friends who was with Kealiher early on Oct. 12.

The lawyers’ account is the most detailed version of events leading up to Kealiher’s death.

Police have made no arrests. They have released little information about the case and declined to comment Monday, citing the ongoing investigation.

According to the attorneys, Kealiher and their client, Hyatt Eshelman, 26 walked with another friend about three blocks from Cider Riot to Eshelman’s car parked outside the Democratic Party of Oregon headquarters on Northeast Ninth Avenue near Everett Street.

There, the three got into a random, drunken argument that was initiated by several people on the street they didn’t know, the lawyers said.

After the heated exchange, the strangers piled into a Ford SUV parked nearby and began to drive off, Ferder said.

Suddenly, the SUV pulled a U-turn and hit the gas, slamming into Kealiher, according to Stern. It then crashed into the Democratic headquarters and stalled out on the sidewalk.

At that point, the driver revved the engine and tried to reverse, the lawyers said. That’s when Eshelman took out a legally concealed handgun and fired at the Ford, they said. Eshelman thought the driver was going back up over Kealiher, who was lying in the street, said Stern.

Some of the bullets struck the SUV, according to police.

The driver and passengers spilled out of the SUV and fled from the scene on foot, according to police and Eshelman’s lawyers.

Eshelman and the other friend carried Kealiher, a self-described anarchist who was also known by the name Armenio Lewis, to their car and drove to a nearby hospital. Kealiher died of blunt force trauma, according to the Multnomah County medical examiner.

Early reports of the fatal crash and shooting touched off fears within Portland’s activist community and beyond that ongoing clashes between right- and left-wing groups had turned deadly.

In May, Cider Riot had been the site of a large brawl between anti-fascist patrons of the pub and members of the right-wing group Patriot Prayer, who police and prosecutors say provoked the violent melee.

Police have not said whether they’ve located the SUV driver or any of its passengers.

They’ve asked anyone with information about the case to contact Detective Scott Broughton at 503-823-3774 or Scott.Broughton@portlandoregon.gov or Detective Rico Beniga at 503-823-0457 or Rico.Beniga@portlandoregon.gov.

-- Shane Dixon Kavanaugh; 503-294-7632

Email at skavanaugh@oregonian.com

Follow on Twitter @shanedkavanaugh

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