A noisy afternoon of sidewalk drumming on East Burnside ended with a trip to jail for a Portland man, after police say the performance turned into a knife scare inside a neighborhood tea house. Staff reported being threatened and frightened during the confrontation, though no serious injuries were reported. Court documents identify the suspect as 40-year-old Dustin Joseph Rotbart, who was arrested when officers arrived.
Police were called Monday to Kava Saia Tea on East Burnside for reports of a disturbance. According to KATU, employees told officers a man had been pacing the block, banging drums, hitting windows and shouting that he was a federal officer. When staff asked him to leave the business, they said he pulled out a knife and asked, "Do you want to get stabbed?"
One employee told police that another staff member stepped outside with a cattle prod. According to court documents, the suspect allegedly responded, "You brought a cattle prod to a knife fight. I'll f*** you all up." A bystander near Fast Time Pizza tried to wrestle the knife away, only to retreat to his apartment as the suspect chased him, the records state. Officers later recovered a 3-inch folding knife and a stun baton from Rotbart, who was arraigned Monday on three counts each of unlawful use of a weapon and menacing, along with one count of second-degree disorderly conduct, and is due back in court on March 3, as reported by KATU.
The tea house sits on a busy stretch of East Burnside that blends late-night bars, restaurants and small venues. Public directory listings place Kava Saia on the Burnside corridor in Central East Portland, and business listings and maps confirm the location. See MapQuest for the public listing.
Legal implications
The charges carry different classifications under Oregon law. Unlawful use of a weapon is a Class C felony, while disorderly conduct in the second degree falls under chapter 166, and menacing is in chapter 163 as a Class A misdemeanor. Prosecutors must show intent or recklessness depending on the specific count, and penalties vary with the classification and the defendant's prior record. For more detail, see ORS chapter 166 and ORS chapter 163.
