Text messages between a Portland police lieutenant and Joey Gibson, the leader of right-wing group Patriot Prayer, in 2017 and 2018 show the officer provided Gibson a heads-up on counterprotesters’ movements during demonstrations and warned Gibson to tell group members with active warrants to avoid drawing police attention, revelations that spurred two city leaders to call for an inquiry.

Hundreds of texts, reported Thursday by Willamette Week and the Portland Mercury and later released on the Portland Police Bureau’s website, show a friendly rapport between Gibson and Lt. Jeff Niiya, a more-than-20-year member of the Portland Police Bureau. He routinely reaches out to protest leaders to learn what officers should expect during demonstrations. But the exchanges between Niiya and Gibson appear to echo concerns of critics who believe the Portland Police Bureau protects Patriot Prayer members and their affiliates during city demonstrations that often turn violent, and targets people opposing them.

Some incidents cited by critics include several anti-fascist demonstrators being injured by flash-bang grenades released by Portland officers during an Aug. 4, 2018, protest of a Patriot Prayer rally in downtown Portland.

Before that protest, Niiya texted Gibson that officers would move to keep Patriot Prayer members separated from people opposing them.

“No patriots going to them no Antifa to you,” Niiya wrote. “If they get close we will be in between.”

Some of the texts show Niiya told Gibson where opposing groups were holding protests, whether or not they were linked to a Patriot Prayer demonstration, Willamette Week reported.

In one message, Niiya alerted Gibson that several antifa members were heading toward him during a Dec. 23, 2017, protest. The Mercury reported Niiya said, “we will have officers nearby but you may want to think about moving soon if more come.”

Gibson often texted Niiya and asked him to investigate people based on videos made by the group or comments left on Patriot Prayer’s Facebook page, The Mercury reported. It’s not clear if police investigated anyone at Gibson’s suggestion.

Texts also show Gibson revealed plans to run for U.S. Congress representing Washington before he formally announced his candidacy publicly.

“(You’re) running for office?!!” Niiya said. “Good for you. County level?”

Gibson replied that he was running for Senate and it would “take a miracle for me to win but people are backing me so we will see what happens.”

“I will be using Portland and Seattle protesters as a part of the campaign so it will impact you guys unfortunately, so I (apologize) now ahead of time."

DOCUMENTS: EMAILS AND TEXT MESSAGES BETWEEN PORTLAND POLICE LIEUTENANT AND JOEY GIBSON

It’s unknown if Niiya has similar rapports with anyone affiliated with groups that oppose Patriot Prayer. He exchanged hundreds of texts in 2017 with activist June Davies, who at times marched alongside antifa.

Davies at times asked Niiya about friends arrested or under investigation and discussed police presence at activist events, The Oregonian/OregonLive found. Portland police said in 2017 that officers routinely communicate with organizers and activists to determine appropriate police response.

“We don’t take sides in these conflicts,” Niiya told The Oregonian/OregonLive in 2017. “I don’t like us standing between the two groups and, if there’s a march, I don’t like us marching alongside them.”

He said he wanted protest leaders to police themselves as much as possible and that officers would intervene if they witnessed people breaking the law.

Mayor Ted Wheeler called the text messages “disturbing,” said that they appeared to encourage Gibson and that incidents like this contribute to public distrust of the Portland Police Bureau. He said he’s asked Police Chief Danielle Outlaw to launch an investigation and “report back to me expeditiously.”

“It is imperative for law enforcement to remain objective and professional, and in my opinion, these text messages appear to cross several boundaries,” Wheeler said in a statement. “They also raise questions about whether warrants are being enforced consistently and what information is being shared with individuals who may be subject to arrest.”

Portland Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty in a statement Thursday said the texts didn’t shock or surprise her and confirmed that “there are members of the Portland police force who work in collusion with right-wing extremists.” She said news of the text exchanges should be used to help buoy police reform that calls for “policing that treats all community members with respect and allows for peaceful protest free of intimidation and bias.”

Hardesty said she and other community groups are calling for an independent investigation into correspondence between police officers and members of alt-right groups and individuals.

“The incidents we hear about are not ‘one off’s’ but everyday examples of a broken policing system in Portland that must be addressed,” Hardesty said. “I look forward to supporting actions of accountability. I ask that the Mayor and Police Chief Outlaw take swift action and I will also be here to demand justice if that call is not met.”

Outlaw issued a statement late Thursday night after posting all the text messages and emails between Gibson and the lieutenant on the bureau’s website.

“I have directed an internal investigation to review the context of these communications and determine if any Bureau directives were violated,'' she said in the statement. "If anything is identified that is deemed outside of our values and directives, it will be addressed.”

— The Oregonian/OregonLive