An armed ruckus erupted at a city transit mall, landing one man behind bars for multiple charges, including assault with a deadly weapon. According to the City of Salem, the authorities raced to the 200 block of High ST NE around 3 p.m. after dispatchers received reports of a belligerent man.
The suspect, identified as Enrique King Hatfield, 21, failed to catch a bus and responded with threats and brandishing a handgun. After a confrontation, fleeing with his weapon drawn, Hatfield pointed his gun at an onlooker, as reported by transit mall security.
In a following altercation at the corner of Court and Church STS NE, witnesses told officers that Hatfield struck a woman's face with the butt of his gun, causing her to fall, then continued to assault her mercilessly with kicks.
With Hatfield on the run, the police launched a foot chase that ended with his capture. Upon searching the 21-year-old, the officers found a handgun, confirming the threat had been very real. While the victim was attended to by paramedics at the scene, Hatfield was hauled off to Marion County Jail.
Enrique King Hatfield now faces a slew of charges, as detailed in a statement by local authorities. Among them are second-degree assault, two counts of menacing, unlawful use of a firearm, and being a felon in possession of a weapon. He was arraigned at the Marion County Criminal Court Annex.
