A right-wing activist best known for brawling in the streets of Portland amid political protests pleaded not guilty Monday to assault charges.

Tusitala “Tiny” Toese, who previously fled the Northwest after being indicted on assault charges, was arrested Friday at Portland International Airport. He was released from custody on bail Saturday.

Eric Wahlstrom, a supervisory deputy U.S. marshal in Oregon, said authorities had information Toese was flying into Portland and arrested him when his flight landed.

Toese had been flying into Portland from Samoa via a connecting flight in Hawaii, Wahlstrom told The Oregonian/OregonLive. His arrest wasn’t a previously planned surrender, Wahlstrom said.

Toese, a 23-year-old Vancouver resident, gained notoriety as a member of the right-wing groups Patriot Prayer and the Proud Boys. He served as Patriot Prayer leader Joey Gibson’s right-hand man until the duo had a falling out for undisclosed reasons.

Toese reportedly returned to his hometown in American Samoa after a Multnomah County grand jury indicted him and fellow Proud Boy Donovan Flippo on assault charges in February.

The two were accused of beating up a man during a June 2018 confrontation in Northeast Portland. Flippo pleaded guilty to fourth-degree assault earlier this year.

-- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015

Shane Dixon Kavanaugh of The Oregonian/OregonLive staff contributed to this report

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