Assault and knife incident

The victim of an assault with a metal rod shortly after 8 a.m. on Tuesday is good condition after sustaining non-life threatening injuries according to Director of Institutional Safety & Security Gale Blessing Wednesday afternoon.

“He had an injury, we treated with him ice and he didn’t want to be transported to a hospital, he was later taken by a family member to a hospital,” said Blessing, adding that the injuries were not life threatening.

This incident was in addition to another involving someone with knife in the gym Tuesday afternoon.

According to a press release from the college sent on Tuesday just before 10 a.m., the victim, a male student, was assaulted in parking lot J by a male person with a metal rod after the two were exchanging words in regards to one of them speeding on campus. The male person then, according to witnesses, grabbed a metal rod that the student was carrying for his class and then hit him, causing injuries to the head and hand.

Automotive Tech Instructor Steve Michener saw the incident and reported it to Public Safety immediately, who responded to the scene and provided first aid.

Witnesses in this case described the suspect as being a white male standing at six feet tall, weighing approximately 200 pounds, with grayish hair and a “scraggly beard,” wearing a grey beanie hat, dark waist-length jacket and dark backpack.

“At this point, we don’t know who assailant is, the victim did not know, none of the witnesses who were present knew the assailant,” said Blessing.

“He [Michener] did exactly what he was supposed to do, which is great. Any time anyone sees anything suspicious or a crime in progress, he did exactly what we ask our community members to do, then we can respond quickly and engage local law enforcement,” said Blessing.

The other incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon around 1:40 p.m. at the basketball courts, where a man who lost a game during the open recreation time “brandished a knife in a menacing manner,” according to another press release.

Dean of HPE Kim Hyatt alerted Public Safety about the incident, who then arrived at the scene and interviewed eyewitnesses and looked at surveillance videos.

Witnesses in the gym say the man then left the gym. He was described as being five feet, four inches tall, around 120 pounds, slender with long dark hair styled in two buns on the top of his head. Witnesses told Public Safety he appeared to be of Pacific Islander descent and was wearing jeans and white t-shirt.

It is unknown whether either man is a student or MHCC employee.

Gresham Police are now handling the first case.

Blessing noted that a look through Public Safety’s crime log and Clery Report (a federally required campus safety report) would find few instances of stranger-on-stranger violence.

“It’s very unusual we would have two incidents in one day or a week or a month,” said Blessing.

Blessing and Public Safety urge anyone who spots either of these individuals or has information about them to immediately alert Public Safety. Blessing also encouraged students to take precautions on campus, especially when it is dark, and to try to travel in pairs. Public Safety officers can be called for escorts to and from the parking lots, at any time, at 503-491-7310.

Advocate Staff