Bend man arrested in Fred Meyer parking lot assault

(Update: Suspect released on bail)

A Bend man recently arrested on burglary, robbery and theft charges in a February incident at a southwest Redmond home was arrested again after a standoff at his home Saturday night, accused of an assault in the Bend Fred Meyer parking lot after a reported road rage incident, police said Sunday. A second assailant still was being sought.

Police responded shortly before 6:30 p.m. to a reported assault that had just occurred in the store’s parking lot, where two men were reportedly assaulting another man, Kelly Farrell, 20, of Bend, said police Lt. Brian Kindel.

The two suspects reportedly fled the area before police arrived, but a witness gave officers a license plate for the pickup truck.

The victim and witnesses told police a white lifted Ford pickup truck blocked the victim into a parking stall in the parking lot over a perceived road rage incident involving tailgating and “brake checking,” Kindel said.

An investigation determined that Blaise Butcher, 31, repeatedly assaulted Farrell by hitting him several times in the face, causing the victim’s sunglasses to break, Kindel said.

The victim received minor, non-life-threatening injuries in the assault, he added.

Farrell told NewsChannel 21 Butcher’s truck had tailgated him as he tried to enter the parking lot.

Butcher was indicted and jailed earlier this month, accused of illegally entering a southwest Bend home in early February and was stabbed by one of the two occupants during that incident.

During Saturday evening’s assault, the victim obtained a knife to defend himself, and said Butcher reportedly told him he’d been stabbed before and continued the assault, the lieutenant said. The knife was not used, Kindel said, other than as a warning to try to stop Butcher and his accomplice from continuing the assault.

Police went to the home of the pickup’s registered owner, where Butcher initially refused commands to stop and fled into the home, Kindel said. Officers surrounded the house and after about an hour, Butcher came out and was taken into custody without incident.

Butcher was taken to the Deschutes County Jail and booked on charges of third-degree assault. Second-degree disorderly conduct and second-degree criminal mischief. His bail was $17,500, and he was released from jail Sunday afternoon after posting the required 10 percent, a jail officer said.

Kindel said officers still were working to identify the second assailant, known only at this time as “Justin.”