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Oregon-Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help to identify suspects involved in an assault Sunday night at Glenn Otto Park near the Sandy River.
At about 7:36 p.m., deputies responded to a report of an assault at 1110 E. Historic Columbia River Highway in Troutdale. They found two men with injuries.
The suspects had left. No arrests have been made.
Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Spokesman Chris Liedle said the two victims had serious but non-life-threatening head and face injuries, but declined to be taken to the hospital in an ambulance. He said the victims told deputies that they would go to the hospital on their own. Liedle said both men are recovering at home.
The assault was captured on video, and detectives are sharing the footage in an attempt to identify the suspects.
According to the sheriff’s office, a group of people swam across the Sandy River, confronted the two men, who are brothers, and proceeded to violently attack them. The video shows at least six young males confronting and verbally arguing with the brothers. One suspect, who appears to be wearing salmon-colored shorts, uses a large stick more than once to assault one of the victims. Multiple suspects continue to assault one of the victims by punching, kicking and stomping, at one point as he was laying on the ground defenseless.
Detectives are considering bias crime charges after an allegation that the suspects used homophobic slurs during the assault.
“This is a serious and appalling assault that occurred in broad daylight at a family-friendly, riverfront beach,” said Nicole Morrisey O’Donnell, chief deputy. “We are actively investigating the assault, and we are urging the public to come forward with information that may lead to an arrest of these individuals. Violence has no place in Multnomah County.”
If anyone has information or additional video, call the MCSO Tip Line at 503-988-0560 and reference case number 21-24002.