Bend-area road rage incident leads to confrontation, bias crime arrest
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) – A road rage incident and aggressive driving on Century Drive Tuesday night led to a violent confrontation and the arrest Wednesday afternoon of a Bend man on bias crime and other charges, accused of making racial epithets, threatening the driver with a knife, smashing out his rear window and stabbing a tire, police said.
Police received information around 7:20 p.m. Tuesday of the reported road rage incident, after Deschutes County 911 dispatchers were told one person had brandished a knife and stabbed tires of the alleged victim’s SUV. The victim said he followed the suspect as far as he could, Lt. Clint Burleigh said.
Officers learned the suspect, a 34-year-old Bend man, and victim, a 20-year-old Bend man, had engaged in aggressive driving behavior on Century Driver around the Sunriver cut-off road, and that the suspect, driving a pickup, followed the victim back into Bend.
Both vehicles were stopped on Century Drive, waiting to enter the roundabout on Reed Market Road, when the alleged victim got out to take pictures of the suspect’s pickup for reporting purposes, Burleigh said.
The suspect got out, knife in hand, and reportedly made comments about hurting the victim, as well as making racial epithets, Burleigh said. As the victim retreated, saying he’d feared for his life, the other driver broke out the rear window of his SUV and stabbed the rear driver-side tire, then got back in his pickup and fled the scene.
Officers checked the area but were unable to find the suspect or his pickup, Burleigh said.
Investigating officers learned Wednesday the location of the suspect and stopped his pickup on Brosterhous Road, arresting the man without incident. The knife allegedly used in the incident was found in the truck.
The suspect was taken to the county jail and booked on charges of first-degree bias, unlawful use of a weapon, menacing, first-degree criminal mischief, failure to perform the duties of a driver and reckless driving.
