PORTLAND, Ore. — Police have identified and arrested the man seen on security video repeatedly abusing a dog inside a Northeast Portland apartment building.
Thanks to community tips, police said, detectives were able to find and conduct surveillance on the suspect, 25-year-old Isaac Booker Justham of Portland.
On Aug. 2, Justham was seen on surveillance cameras in an apartment building on Northeast Holladay Street near Northeast Grand Avenue. Said footage showed him repeatedly abusing a small black dog, hitting the animal with a heavy rope and hanging it from a fire extinguisher and then repeatedly kicking it, PPB said.
Around 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Justham was spotted by detectives, who requested assistance from the Central Precinct, according to the Portland Police Bureau (PPB). They then took him into custody at Northwest 13th Avenue and Northwest Flanders Street.
After being arrested, Justham claimed to have swallowed fentanyl and was transported to a hospital for evaluation, then was released and interviewed by detectives, PPB said.
During the interview, Justham refused to provide information about the dog's whereabouts and was booked into the Multnomah County Detention Center on three felony counts of first-degree aggravated animal abuse and multiple outstanding warrants.
Attorney Geordie Duckler is not representing Justham but he specializes in animal law. Duckler says a video like this one capturing several minutes of abuse is 'pretty unique'. Typically, animal abuse cases rest on a description by someone who’s witnessed abuse or an inference.
But in this case, if prosecutors go to trial, Duckler says they'll have to prove Justham's intent that day in the elevator in order to convict him of aggravated abuse.
"Did that accused person, the fellow in the elevator, intend to inflict pain, as opposed to intend to do something else," Duckler explained. "In a sense, it’s all going to depend on what’s in his head, not what’s in his hand."
Oregon law defines aggravated animal abuse in the first degree as someone who 'maliciously kills an animal' or 'intentionally or knowingly tortures an animal'.
Duckler did share one possible defense Justham could use if the case goes to trial.
"I didn’t know the difference between right and wrong. I didn’t know the difference between dog and elevator wall. I was just doing whatever it is I wanted to do because I was so impaired, in a way that’s a defense," Duckler said.
Even without the dog, Duckler believes the criminal prosecution will move forward.
Though, he says if the dog is found and injuries are linked to the abuse in the elevator, charges could be added.
Justham is facing other charges unrelated to this case, including felony theft in Washington County and misdemeanor criminal mischief and criminal trespass in Multnomah County. According to court documents, Justham pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charges.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the dog is asked to contact Detective Matthew Brown at matthew.brown@police.portlandoregon.gov and reference case number 24-803427.