A hatchet incident stemming from an episode of road rage has concluded with the aggressor, Joseph Chastain, aged 33, to forcefully serve three and a half years in prison. The announcement was made by the Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office, as reported by KPTV. The incident dates back to August 2023 when Chastain pursued and attacked Matt Griffin, 55, after a minor traffic dispute.
According to the victim's account to KGW, the altercation began after Griffin honked at Chastain for cutting him off on Cesar Chavez Blvd. The sequential events rapidly escalated, with Chastain later following Griffin home and menacingly making a "finger gun" gesture, symbolizing a threat. Griffin, in an attempt to protect himself, retrieved a hatchet but was disarmed and subsequently assaulted by Chastain, culminating in a severe knee injury.
Post-assault, authorities arrived at 4819 Southeast Boise Street, where they found Griffin wounded, as KOIN 6 News detailed. The intervention of the police, along with the provision of a tourniquet, proved crucial before Griffin was taken to a hospital for further treatment. Chastain had fled the scene by then but was apprehended four months afterward, following a diligent investigation.
At the sentencing, Griffin expressed his psychological relief, stating, "It’s been 559 days since I was assaulted in front of my home. I feel relieved and afforded and cared for," acknowledging the support system that had emerged through his ordeal, as reported by KPTV. Joseph Chastain sealed his fate with a plea deal, thereby accepting his sentence and the subsequent three years of probation upon release, as KGW covered. Before his custody, Chastain bid farewell to his attending family and friends in the courtroom.
As the judicial proceedings have found a close and the convicted is bound by judgement, Griffin offers a stark warning to others who might inadvertently stumble upon a similar scenario. "I'm not a gun owner, but be prepared to defend yourself. It doesn’t have to be a gun; it can be something else,” he advised, as highlighted by KGW.
