A late-night confrontation on NW Spruce Avenue in Corvallis ended with two Michigan residents in handcuffs after police say the pair sparked back-to-back clashes involving a knife, a strangulation, and a group of bystanders who armed themselves with baseball bats. Corvallis Police officers were called to the 900 block of the Northwest Corvallis street around 10:37 p.m. on August 27 after reports of a weapon-involved disturbance.
Officers identified the two people involved as 40-year-old Krystle Ann LaFave of Ishpeming, Michigan, and 41-year-old Wesley Dean Hankins of Marquette, Michigan, according to a statement from the Corvallis Police Department. Police said both had no fixed address and had been camping in the area at the time of the incident. As reported by KOIN, the two were involved in separate confrontations with two different groups of people that night.
Two Confrontations, Two Sets of Weapons
Investigators say the trouble unfolded in stages. In the first altercation, police allege Hankins assaulted and strangled a man while LaFave displayed a knife nearby. A second, separate clash followed, in which LaFave allegedly threatened several people with a knife — prompting members of that group to arm themselves with baseball bats, according to officials cited in the department's release.
It remains unclear what triggered the initial encounter between the visiting pair and the Corvallis residents involved, and the department's statement does not specify whether anyone required medical treatment as a result of the assault or strangulation allegations. Those details were not included in the police account of the incident.
Charges Filed Against Both Suspects
Hankins was arrested on allegations of Fourth-Degree Assault, Strangulation, and Second-Degree Disorderly Conduct. LaFave was arrested on allegations of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, Menacing, and Second-Degree Disorderly Conduct. Both were booked into the Benton County Jail following their arrests, according to officials.
The charges carry a range of potential penalties under Oregon law. LaFave's Unlawful Use of a Weapon charge is classified under Oregon Revised Statute 166.220 as a Class C felony, carrying up to five years in state prison and fines as high as $125,000 upon conviction. Hankins' strangulation charge under ORS 163.187 is generally a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in jail, though it can escalate to a Class C felony carrying up to five years in prison if aggravating circumstances are proven, per the Oregon State Legislature.
The remaining charges — Menacing, Fourth-Degree Assault, and Second-Degree Disorderly Conduct — are misdemeanors. Menacing and Fourth-Degree Assault are each Class A misdemeanors carrying up to 364 days in jail and a $6,250 fine, while Second-Degree Disorderly Conduct is a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in jail and a $2,500 fine, according to Oregon statute.
Custody Status Still Developing
Both LaFave and Hankins were lodged at the Benton County Jail, which the Benton County Sheriff's Office updates its adult-in-custody roster for approximately every four hours. Their current custody status and any arraignment dates in Benton County Circuit Court had not been released as of publication.
The arrests come amid a steady stream of similar calls logged by Corvallis Police in late August, with officers regularly responding to disturbances involving people with no fixed address, ranging from trespass and open container violations to outstanding warrant arrests, according to the department's daily activity log. All charges against LaFave and Hankins remain allegations at this stage, and neither has been convicted.
