The victim suffered serious injuries to his chest and right hand
Portland Police (2)
Zachary Hay and his dog
Content warning: This story contains disturbing details.
A white man in Oregon is facing assault and bias charges after allegedly commanding his dog to attack a black man, the Portland Police Bureau announced on Tuesday, May 21.
The incident occurred on May 12 in downtown Portland. Police allege the suspect, Zachary T. Hay, 29, called an adult black man a racial slur before ordering his dog — a brindle pit bull — to attack him.
Hay is said to have recognized the black man from his job as a security guard at an area supermarket.
The victim suffered “severe bites to his chest and right hand, which partially separated his right thumb,” according to the documents filed by the prosecutor and obtained by Oregonlive.
A second victim, a white man, was also injured during the altercation.
Detectives believe there may be more victims.
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The new release reads: “Based on the investigation to date, the Major Crimes Unit believes there is a third victim who suffered significant injuries during an encounter with Hay and his dog. Photos of both are being released in the hope that the unidentified victim, or anyone else who may have been victimized by Hay and his dog, will contact police.”
According to Oregonlive, which cites papers filed by prosecutors, the third victim, a white man, tried to stop the pit bull from attacking the black man and was bitten in the groin.
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Hay has been charged with two counts of second-degree assault and one count of bias. The dog was taken into custody by Multnomah County Animal Services.
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KOIN, a CBS affiliate, reports that Hay appeared in court on Wednesday, May 22, where he pleaded not guilty to the charges. PEOPLE could not immediately reach an attorney for him.
The Portland Police Bureau declined to comment further on the incident.
The Portland Police Bureau encourages those with information about the case to contact Detective Matthew Brown at matthew.brown@police.portlandoregon.gov.
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