PORTLAND, Ore. — A man who kidnapped a woman in August 2019 and held her at knifepoint in front of her daughter has been found guilty except for insanity on all charges and sentenced to 20 years, according to the Multnomah County District Attorney's Office.
Christopher Michael Hall, 39, was found guilty except for insanity on two counts of first-degree burglary, two counts of first-degree escape, two counts of first-degree kidnapping, one count of unlawful use of a weapon and one count of first-degree attempted assault for the Aug. 25, 2019 incident. He was also found guilty except for insanity on two counts of first-degree burglary and three counts of second-degree burglary for three unrelated incidents between Aug. 2 and Aug. 20, 2019.
Hall will be committed to the Oregon State Hospital and placed under the jurisdiction of the Oregon Psychiatric Security Review Board for a maximum sentence of 20 years.
"Under Oregon law, a person is guilty except for insanity (GEI) if, as a result of a qualifying mental disorder at the time of engaging in criminal conduct, they lack substantial capacity either to appreciate the criminality of the conduct or to conform the conduct to the requirements of law," the district attorney's office said in a press release.
Multnomah County District Attorney Rod Underhill said his office was in regular contact with the victim throughout all stages of the case and that she supports the sentencing.
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On Aug. 25, 2019, officers responded to a call that a man had tried to break into a Northwest Portland church and was swinging a heavy chain at people.
According to a witness, Hall forced his way through a back gate of the church and entered the building, where about a dozen children were having choir auditions. Hall wasn't making sense and seemed volatile, the witness said.
When officers arrived, Hall swung the chain at an officer and then ran away from the church.
Near the McDonald's located on West Burnside Street and Northwest 18th Avenue, Hall pulled out a knife and grabbed a woman who was waiting for a ride with her 13-year-old daughter.
Hall pushed the woman to the ground, held her at knifepoint and dragged her a short distance away before he was encountered by officers with their guns drawn.
Police said they were able to convince Hall to drop the knife, at which point he let go of the woman and tried to run, but a passerby grabbed Hall and held him down for police. After a struggle, an officer used a taser on the suspect and then arrested him.
Moses Gonzalez was visiting Portland from Seattle and captured video of the incident as it was happening.
In the video, Hall can be seen holding the woman while police point their guns at him. It's unclear what prompts Hall to let the woman go, but after he releases the woman, a bystander tackles Hall, and then officers join in to detain him.
