PORTLAND, Oregon — A man who police say was the victim of a bias crime is sharing insight into what happened the day of the attack and what led to his alleged attacker’s arrest.
Marcus Evans was near Southwest 13th and Alder on May 12 when he saw a young man being attacked by a pit bull and attempted to intervene.
“He sicced his dog on me while yelling racial slurs. The dog got me pretty good, got me on the chest and on the thumb,” Evans told KGW.
Portland police described the injuries that Evans received from the attack as "significant." According to court documents, Evans suffered injuries from bites to his chest and right hand, including partially de-gloving his right thumb. He received multiple shots at the hospital after the incident took place.
Then, just over a week later, Evan saw the man and his dog again.
"Eight days later, I'm walking my dog and I actually see him and the dog again," Evans recounted. "I was able to follow them from a safe distance and get the police there, and they were able to pick him up."
Zachary Tyler Hay, 29, now faces nine felony counts, including assault in the second degree and bias crime in the first degree.
On Thursday, Hay pleaded not guilty. Court documents said that he claimed to authorities that his dog "happened to get unleashed" after Evans — along with another man, Troy Cooper, who attempted to intervene when the dog attacked — had been "aggressive" with him.
The dog was taken to Multnomah County Animal Services, according to the Portland Police Bureau (PPB).
Hay is being held in the Multnomah County Detention Center.
Evans told KGW in just the last year, he has been the victim of four bias crimes. He says this assault has left him feeling unsafe and is ready to leave Portland after four years of living here.
"I've lived all over the United States ... in the South and everywhere, and I've never had such a racist reaction anywhere else; this is the last place I would expect it," he said. "I'm moving soon, and it's because of all this."